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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Regulation

Science & Technology

  • PYQs8
  • Articles1
I

Background

AI is a transformative technology with profound implications for economy, society, governance, and national security. UPSC expects candidates to understand its potential, challenges, and the policy responses required for its responsible development and deployment, including ethical considerations and regulatory oversight.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn like humans. Its rapid advancement necessitates robust governance and regulatory frameworks to ensure ethical deployment, mitigate risks, and protect stakeholders across various sectors.

II

Facts & tables

Core Focus
Ensuring ethical, transparent, and explainable adoption of AI tools and models.
Risk Mitigation
Addressing data protection, cyber security risks (e.g., automated attacks), and potential challenges to policyholders.
Regulatory Scope
Reviewing global regulatory and supervisory approaches and suggesting sector-specific frameworks (e.g., for insurance).
Accountability
Prescribing frameworks for implementing security controls, conducting stress tests, and establishing AI audit requirements (pre-deployment and post-deployment).
Static syllabus anchors
Type Reference
Conceptual area Emerging Information Technologies
Institutions & roles
Body Role
IRDAI Initiates regulatory framework for insurance sector
CERT-In Provides cybersecurity expertise
Reserve Bank Information Technology (ReBIT) Provides financial technology expertise
III

Prelims angle

Prelims angle: Factual recall

Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis

  • Focus on ethical, transparent, and explainable AI.
  • Mitigation of data protection and cybersecurity risks.
  • Review of global regulatory approaches for AI.
  • Development of pre-deployment and post-deployment AI audit frameworks.
  • Identification of skill gaps and capacity-building needs.
High-confidence PYQ links
Year Framing tags
2026 Statement-based questions, Factual recall
2026 Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
2025 Statement-based questions, Factual recall
2022 Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
2020 Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
2019 Conceptual understanding, Multi-statement analysis
2018 Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
2017 Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis

Timeline

  1. Emerging Information Technologies

    Conceptual area

  2. Prelims 2017

    Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis

  3. Prelims 2018

    Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures

  4. Prelims 2019

    Conceptual understanding, Multi-statement analysis

  5. Prelims 2020

    Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding

  6. Prelims 2022

    Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding

  7. Prelims 2025

    Statement-based questions, Factual recall

  8. Prelims 2026

    Statement-based questions, Factual recall

  9. Prelims 2026

    Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding

  10. IRDAI forms working group on AI

    AI governance involves establishing rules, standards, and best practices for the ethical, transparent, and secure development and deployment of AI systems, addressing issues like data privacy, bias, accountability, and cybersecurity risks across various sectors.

See also

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Regulation

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Past papers

In the news

thehindu.com

IRDAI forms working group on AI

AI governance involves establishing rules, standards, and best practices for the ethical, transparent, and secure development and deployment of AI systems, addressing issues like data privacy, bias, accountability, and cybersecurity risks across various sectors.

Try these PYQs

UPSC Prelims 2017 hard Science & Technology Open full page

In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cybersecurity incidents?

1. Service providers
2. Data centres
3. Body corporate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

UPSC Prelims 2026 hard Science & Technology Open full page

Consider the following statements with respect to the AI Impact Summit, 2026 held in New Delhi :

1. The Summit's intellectual framework was based on three foundational Sutras : People, Planning, and Progress.
2. The Preamble of the Summit stresses Democratising AI Resources, which acknowledges the Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI as a binding framework to support locally relevant innovation and strengthen resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws.
3. The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was structured around seven Chakras (Pillars), which included Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

UPSC Prelims 2022 medium Science & Technology Open full page

With reference to Web 3-0, consider the following statements :

1. Web 3-0 technology enables people to control their own data.
2. In Web 3-0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.
3. Web 3-0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

UPSC Prelims 2025 hard International Relations Open full page

Consider the following statements regarding AI Action Summit held in Grand Palais, Paris in February 2025:

I. Co-chaired with India, the event builds on the advances made at the Bletchley Park Summit held in 2023 and the Seoul Summit held in 2024.
II. Along with other countries, US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

UPSC Prelims 2026 easy Science & Technology Open full page

Which of the following statements with regard to Large Language Models (LLMs) used in machine learning is/are correct ?

1. LLMs assign probabilities to the next possible words and then pick the one with the highest probability.
2. LLMs process data through mathematical optimization to minimise prediction errors.
3. LLMs produce unbiased outputs.

Select the answer using the code given below :

Show 3 more PYQs
UPSC Prelims 2020 easy Science & Technology Open full page

With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence an effectively do which of the following?
1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units.
2. Create meaningful short stories and songs.
3. Disease diagnosis.
4. Text-to-Speech Conversion.
5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

UPSC Prelims 2018 medium Social Issues & Schemes Open full page

Which of the following is/are the aim/aims of "Digital India" Plan of the Government of India?
1. Formation of India's own Internet companies like China did.
2. Establish a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within our national geographical boundaries.
3. Connect many of our villages to the Internet and bring Wi-Fi to many of our school, public places and major tourist centres

Select the correct answer using the code given below

UPSC Prelims 2019 medium Science & Technology Open full page

With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)?
1. LTE is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G.
2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.