Infosys Nilekani Advocates Aadhaar and AI Regulation to Combat Cyber Threats

With deepfake scams on the rise, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani stressed Aadhaar’s role in fighting digital fraud and the need for scalable AI in India.

Speaking at an AIMA session in New Delhi, he highlighted India’s unique “digital arrest” scams, the importance of data protection laws, and how AI can be applied at scale in education and agriculture to drive economic and technological progress.

Aadhaar and Scalable AI to Combat Deepfake Scams in India

With deepfake scams and online fraud becoming a growing concern, Infosys co-founder and chairman Nandan Nilekani emphasised Aadhaar’s role in preventing cyber threats. Speaking at an AIMA session in New Delhi, as per news reports.

Nilekani highlighted India’s unique digital fraud challenges and the importance of regulatory frameworks like the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act in managing AI-driven risks.

Aadhaar as a Defence Against Digital Scams

Nilekani pointed out that India faces a distinctive threat called “digital arrest”, where victims are tricked into believing they have been virtually detained by authorities. “India is the only country with a scam category like digital arrest,” he noted in a conversation with Moneycontrol.

To counter such frauds, he suggested leveraging Aadhaar authentication and its liveness detection features to verify real individuals. “Aadhaar can solve this issue. If you need to confirm a person’s presence, Aadhaar authentication can help,” he explained.

DPDP Act: Regulating AI and Data Privacy

With AI models relying on vast data sets, concerns over data privacy and misuse have intensified. Nilekani stressed that India’s DPDP Act provides a strong regulatory foundation for governing AI-driven data usage.

“People have legitimate concerns about their data being used. Fortunately, we have a well-defined DPDP Act that will also regulate AI,” he said.

Conclusion

As deepfake scams and digital fraud continue to evolve, Nandan Nilekani emphasises the need for robust identity verification through Aadhaar and a strong regulatory framework like the DPDP Act to govern AI-driven risks.

With scalable AI applications in sectors like education and agriculture, India has the potential to leverage technology for both security and economic growth. Strengthening AI governance and cybersecurity will be key to ensuring a safe and digitally empowered future.

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