AI offers opportunity but needs safeguards, right governance: Trai chief

Artificial Intelligence can transform how telecom networks are managed and threats detected, but its growing use must be accompanied by safeguards, human oversight, and the ability to intervene where necessary as technology becomes more autonomous, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said on Monday.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in communications networks, operators and technology companies need to invest in responsible AI, undertake risk assessments, maintain logs of decisions and test models before deployment, Lahoti said, stressing that high-impact systems should retain human oversight.

"AI creates opportunity, but also requires safeguards through the right kind of governance approach," Lahoti said, adding that automation should improve outcomes without obscuring accountability.

Human oversight, auditability and the ability to intervene will remain critical even as networks become increasingly autonomous, the top boss of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said.

"W