Type: Explained

Why in the news?

Generative AI’s transformative potential challenges existing legal frameworks and judicial precedents, which are inadequate for effectively governing this rapidly-evolving technology designed for a pre-AI world.

What is Generative AI?

• Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence models that can generate original content like text, images, videos, and audio in response to prompts or requests.
• These models learn patterns from large datasets and use that knowledge to create new content that resembles the training data.

Persistent and Contentious Issues in Internet Governance

Safe Harbour and Liability Fixation:

• The Shreya Singhal judgment upholds Section 79 of the IT Act, granting intermediaries ‘safe harbour’ protection against liability for hosted content, contingent upon meeting due diligence requirements.
• Challenges arise in applying these provisions to GAI tools, with debates on whether they should be classified as intermediaries, conduits, or active creators.
• The Delhi High Court’s ruling in the Christian Louboutin Sas vs Nakul Bajaj and Ors (2018) case limited safe harbour protection to “passive” intermediaries.
• The classification of GAI tools complicates the assignment of liability, especially in cases of user reposts.

Generative AI and Legal Conflicts:

• GAI outputs have led to legal conflicts, such as a lawsuit in the U.S. against OpenAI for defamation by ChatGPT.
• Ambiguities in classifying GAI tools complicate legal decisions regarding liability.

What Does the Indian Copyright Act 1957 Say?

• Section 16 specifies that copyright protection is granted only under the provisions of the Act, with reluctance globally to extend protection to AI-generated works.
• Critical questions include whether existing copyright laws should be revised for AI, the need for co-authorship with humans, and the responsibility for copyright infringement by AI tools.
• The 161st Parliamentary Standing Committee Report highlights the inadequacy of the Copyright Act to facilitate AI authorship and ownership.
• Current Indian law allows copyright owners to take legal action against infringement, but liability for AI-generated content remains unclear.

Steps to Pursue (Way forward)

• Learning by Doing: Implement a sandbox approach, granting temporary immunity from liability to GAI platforms for responsible development and data gathering to inform future regulations.
• Data Rights and Responsibilities: Overhaul the data acquisition process for GAI training, ensuring legal compliance, proper licensing, and compensation for intellectual property used in training models. Potential solutions include revenue-sharing or licensing agreements with data owners.
• Simplify the Licensing: Licensing data for GAI is complex due to the lack of a centralized licensing body for web data. The creation of centralized platforms, similar to stock photo websites, can simplify licensing, streamline access to data, and ensure data integrity against bias and discrimination.
• Government and Judicial Approach to maximize the benefits of GAI: A comprehensive re-evaluation of existing digital jurisprudence is needed, requiring a holistic, government-wide approach and judicious interpretations by constitutional courts. The aim is to maximize the benefits of GAI while safeguarding individual rights and protecting against unwelcome harm.

Mains PYQ:

Q The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) hasinitiated e-Governance as an integral part of government”. Discuss. (UPSC IAS/2020)

Why in the news? 

On June 6, IEEE endorsed a wireless network structure aimed at providing economical broadband access in rural areas, formulated at IIT Bombay.

About the latest Telecom Subscription Data        

• Urban Tele-density: Urban tele-density in India is 127%, indicating that on average, each urban user has more than one mobile connection.
• Rural Tele-density: Rural tele-density is significantly lower at 58%, meaning only about one in two rural residents has a mobile connection.
• Urban-Rural Digital Divide: The data highlights a stark contrast between urban and rural areas, with urban areas having much higher mobile connectivity compared to rural regions, reflecting a significant digital divide.

What are access and core networks?

• Access Network (AN): The AN consists of base stations that provide wireless connectivity to mobile devices within a limited geographical area. It interfaces directly with mobile devices, facilitating communication and data transfer between devices and the wider network.
• Core Network (CN): The CN comprises centralized network equipment that manages and directs data traffic between the access network, other networks (like the Internet), and service providers. It handles tasks such as routing, switching, and managing connectivity across the broader network infrastructure.

What impedes rural connectivity?

• Affordability: Lower income levels in rural areas make mobile services relatively expensive, limiting access for many rural residents.
• Cost of Infrastructure: Installing and maintaining network infrastructure like fibre optics in remote rural areas is costly and may not be economically viable for service providers.
• Low Population Density: Rural areas often have sparse populations spread over large geographic areas, making it less profitable for network operators to invest in infrastructure deployment.
• Geographical Barriers: Difficult terrains and remote locations further complicate the installation of base stations and backhaul infrastructure necessary for robust network coverage.
• Urban Bias in Technology: Most advancements in cellular networks, such as 5G, prioritize high data rates and low latency suitable for urban environments, neglecting the unique challenges of rural areas.
• Limited Research: There has been insufficient research focused on developing cost-effective solutions that can efficiently cover large rural areas with adequate connectivity.

What is the IEEE 2061-2024 standard? (Its working and architecture)   

• IEEE 2061-2024 aims to establish a standardized wireless network architecture for affordable broadband access in rural areas.
• It defines a heterogeneous Access Network (AN) comprising macro base stations (Macro-BS) and Wi-Fi base stations, integrated with a flexible Core Network (CN) bypass capability.

Architecture:

• Heterogeneous AN: Includes Macro-BS covering large areas with potentially lower data rates, complemented by Wi-Fi base stations deployed within villages for high-speed connectivity.
• CN Bypass: Allows direct Internet access from the AN, bypassing the centralized Core Network for certain communications. This enhances efficiency and reduces latency, catering to stationary users common in rural settings.
• Middle-Mile Connectivity: Utilizes multi-hop wireless networks (e.g., satellites, long-range Wi-Fi) to extend connectivity over long distances where optical fibre deployment is impractical or costly.

What is a middle-mile network?

• A middle-mile network refers to the infrastructure that connects core network hubs to local access points, spanning intermediate distances. It uses technologies like fibre optics, microwave links, or satellites to transport data between central and regional locations, facilitating efficient connectivity over longer distances without the need for direct local access networks.

Conclude: To bridge the urban-rural digital divide in telecom, measures should focus on affordability through subsidized services, incentivizing infrastructure investment in rural areas, promoting research on rural-specific technologies, and ensuring equitable access to advanced wireless standards like IEEE 2061-2024.

Mains PYQ: 

Q Has digital illiteracy, particularly in rural areas, coupled with a lack of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility hindered socio-economic development? Examine with justification. (UPSC IAS/2021)