Google AI’s answer on whether Modi is ‘fascist’ sparks outrage in India, calls for tough laws

The controversy was sparked by a viral post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by journalist Arnab Ray, who posted screenshots of the chatbot’s response to “Is Modi a fascist?” Gemini replied that Modi was “accused of implementing policies some experts have characterised as fascist”.

A Google spokesperson said in a Hindu Businessline report on Saturday, “We’ve worked quickly to address this issue.

“Gemini is built as a creativity and productivity tool and may not always be reliable, especially when it comes to responding to some prompts about current events, political topics, or evolving news. This is something that we’re constantly working on improving.”

“These are direct violations of Rule 3(1)(b) of Intermediary Rules (IT rules) of the IT Act and violations of several provisions of the Criminal Code,” he wrote on social media.

The minister’s remark prompted calls for India to tighten its rules and regulations to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

“Heavy intervention is needed by the ministry. Must be told in plain words that access to the Indian market is based on rule of law. Follow the rules or ship out,” Suchit Ahuja, an assistant professor at Concordia University, wrote in response to Chandrasekhar’s report on LinkedIn.

“We do not want an electronic version of the East India Company (EIC) in the 21st century.”

He was referring to the dominant trading company set up by the British Empire to trade popular items such as cotton, silk, tea and opium from its base in India between 1785 and 1858.

To many people in India, the EIC had exploited the riches and labour of the subcontinent, ruined its economy through heavy taxation and used armed force to suppress Indian states.

A responsible approach to AI is needed to ensure human