India has taken a major step toward tackling complex legal issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law by forming a dedicated panel to review its existing copyright legislation. This initiative responds to increasing legal challenges over the use of copyrighted material in training AI systems, notably involving OpenAI, creator of the ChatGPT chatbot. The panel will examine the Copyright Act of 1957—a law over six decades old—to assess its relevance and adequacy concerning AI-generated content. Consultations with experts and stakeholders will explore the legal and policy impacts of AI technologies on copyright protection, aiming to propose amendments or new policies that fairly balance the interests of copyright holders, AI developers, and the public. This move follows a prominent lawsuit filed by leading Indian news organizations accusing OpenAI of unlawfully using their copyrighted articles and reports without permission to train ChatGPT. These media companies argue that such aggregation infringes their intellectual property rights and harms their revenue, spotlighting broader issues of copyright infringement risks, data licensing, and fair use exceptions in AI training. India’s government recognizes that existing copyright laws, created long before the digital age and AI advancement, lack explicit provisions for AI and machine learning, creating legal ambiguities. The new panel—likely comprising legal experts, technologists, policymakers, and creative industry representatives—will comprehensively review these gaps. Key challenges include questions on authorization, compensation, and attribution surrounding the use of copyrighted works in AI datasets, and debates over whether AI-generated works themselves qualify for copyright and who owns those rights. India’s review aligns with a global trend as countries wrestle with regulating AI training data, fair use policies, and ownership of AI-generated outputs, balancing international best practices with domestic contexts.

The lawsuit against OpenAI reflects content creators’ concerns that unauthorized use of their intellectual property, particularly in news media where significant resources are invested, threatens their business models. Meanwhile, AI companies emphasize their technology’s transformative potential and often assert that training uses fall under fair use or do not constitute direct copying. Outcomes from the panel are expected to influence legislative reforms to India’s Copyright Act, regulatory guidelines, and industry norms around AI training data. Establishing clear frameworks will foster a predictable environment supportive of creators, developers, and users. This initiative positions India among the forefront of nations actively addressing AI and copyright challenges, promoting a balance between innovation and rights protection. The panel’s findings may also provide valuable guidance globally as AI integration deepens across sectors. As AI technologies evolve rapidly, the need for robust, adaptive legal frameworks intensifies. India’s proactive approach seeks to modernize copyright laws in step with technological progress, protecting creators’ rights while encouraging innovation and public benefit. The coming months will be critical as the panel conducts its review, engages stakeholders, and drafts recommendations that may reshape India’s AI and copyright legal landscape—underscoring the dynamic interplay of law, technology, and society and the necessity for continual dialogue and adaptation.