Do We Need An AI Law? What The AI Bill Reveals About India's Existing Digital Framework

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept. It is already shaping how businesses operate, how consumers interact online, and even how important decisions are made. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in everyday life, concerns around accountability, transparency, fairness and bias have become harder to ignore.

It is against this backdrop that the Artificial Intelligence (Ethics and Accountability) Bill, 2025 (AI Bill) was introduced. While the AI Bill remains a Private Member’s Bill and has not yet become law, it offers an interesting glimpse into how India may seek to regulate AI in the future.

But does India really need a dedicated AI law? After all, many AI-related activities are already governed by existing legislation, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). Using the Bill as a reference point, this article examines whether India’s current legal framework already