In Focus by The Hindu How far should governments go in using AI?
Mar 19, 2026
Isha Suri, independent researcher on telecom and internet governance, and Raman Jit Singh Chima, digital rights lawyer focused on the Asia Pacific, debate government use of AI. They discuss where AI can help public services, risks of replacing humans, privacy trade-offs, data commodification, procurement pitfalls, and why India should build sovereign, public-interest AI capacity.
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Define Clear Objectives Before Deploying AI
- Do define the government's objective before deploying AI systems.
- Isha Suri urges governments to run necessity and proportionality tests and ask if AI is the only or least intrusive way to solve a narrowly described problem.
More Data Is Not Always Better For AI
- Do not accept the premise that better AI requires handing over vast amounts of personal data.
- Raman Jit Singh Chima explains computer scientists dispute the 'more data equals better AI' claim and warns of perverse incentives and energy costs.
Protect Government Data As Held In Trust
- Avoid treating government data as a monetizable asset to hand to private AI firms.
- Raman warns government holds highly sensitive data collected under sovereignty and must protect it in trust for citizens rather than commercialize it.