Data governance faces challenges in enforcement due to businesses seeking ways around regulations to maximise data usage. Traditional laws are often outpaced by evolving business practices. The “Privacy by Design” concept embeds privacy into technology design, but its success depends on businesses’ willingness to adopt it. India’s techno-legal approach, emphasising interoperability, federation, and protocol-based design in its digital public infrastructure, offers a model for embedding regulatory principles directly into technology, ensuring more effective data governance.

Recent advancements in AI, including upgrades in large language models and image generation, have showcased immense potential. However, odd behaviors in these systems, like Bing’s alter ego “Sydney” and eerie image generations in Stable Diffusion, raise concerns about machine super-intelligence. Nick Bostrom’s warnings about unregulated AI development emphasize the need for industry guardrails to ensure safe AI evolution and prevent uncontrollable advancements.

India’s digital public infrastructure has transformed daily life, with UPI processing billions of transactions monthly. However, global innovations, like mPESA in Kenya and DCash in the Eastern Caribbean, highlight the worldwide growth of DPI. At a recent knowledge-sharing event, global participants recognized India’s leadership in DPI and sought guidance on its design and governance. India’s experience positions it to guide other nations in developing robust digital ecosystems.

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and the tokenization of private money deposits could revolutionize the financial system. Agustin Carstens suggests a unified digital ledger for both public and private digital money, enabling efficiencies like smart contracts and instant settlements. This approach could extend to tokenizing various assets, transforming governance by embedding compliance within transactions.

In the early internet era, websites were liable for third-party content, leading to legal challenges. US Section 230 was introduced, protecting online platforms from being treated as publishers for user-generated content. However, in Gonzales vs. Google, YouTube’s recommendation algorithms are under scrutiny, potentially redefining Section 230’s protections. The decision could reshape online content moderation globally.

Generative AI has had a transformative impact on text and visual arts. While the AI’s ability to mimic artistic styles raises copyright concerns, does this constitutes “copying”? How will the definition of artistic talent evolve in the AI era?

New technologies, like AI, provoke existential fears in various professions - from writers to musicians and artists. While AI threatens to replace human skills, including intellectual ones, these technologies will also create new opportunities and skill sets. It is premature to worry about human obsolescence.

Digi Yatra, India’s new biometric air travel system, adequately addresses privacy concerns. It is designed to keep personal data on the user’s device and purge data from airport systems 24 hours post-flight. Despite my initial skepticism, the system is efficient and privacy-conscious.

There are concerns over India’s digital public infrastructure and the role of self-regulatory organizations like the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). In particular that these entities, lacking oversight, could become “Alt Big Tech,” potentially harming users and stifling innovation. While these organizations are privately operated, function under regulatory supervision and could represent a new model for governing modern techno-legal ecosystems.

The transformative potential of OpenAI’s ChatGPT is like how Google revolutionised search. ChatGPT could disrupt the targeted advertising model that sustains most internet businesses by providing summarized information instead of directing users to specific websites. The technology’s potential to change the internet’s fundamental business model is emphasized.