The India AI Impact Summit 2026, marked a definitive historical inflection point, not merely for the technological landscape of the Indian subcontinent but for the global governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The summit was structured around seven Chakras. Among these, the Safe and Trusted AI chakra stands as the most critical pillar for our national security.
My mind goes back to my days in the police uniform. Back then, we chased criminals on foot through narrow lanes. Today, the “thieves” are invisible, moving at the speed of light, and they don’t need a crowbar to break into your house, they just need a voice note or a fake photo. I am reminded of how far we have travelled in our digital journey. Today, we are not just fighting criminals on the street; we are navigating a complex web of algorithms and AI.
The theme of this summit was Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya welfare for all. But as the Chief Mentor of the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF) and someone who has spent a lifetime in law enforcement, I know that there can be no “welfare” without “safety.” In the roadmap for our country’s future, we talk about seven “Chakras.” To me, the most vital is the Safe and Trusted AI chakra. Because if you don’t trust the technology in your hand, you won’t use it to progress; you’ll use it with fear.
New Face of AI-Powered Crime
Let me tell you plainly: the “scam-call” era has evolved into something much more dangerous. We are now seeing industrial-scale cybercrime. These aren’t just kids in a basement; these are organised international rackets operating like big companies with their own HR and research departments. They are using AI to build “Predator Swarms.” Think of it as a swarm of digital locusts that can scan thousands of computers in seconds, find a “Zero-Day” (a secret hole in the security), and lock your data with ransomware before you can even blink. Some of these are “Zero-Click” attacks; you don’t even have to click a link to get infected. Your phone just receives a message, and the “ghost” is inside. I’ve seen heart-breaking cases recently. Imagine getting a video call from your son, crying, saying he’s been arrested abroad and needs money for bail. You see his face, you hear his voice. It’s perfect. But it’s a Deepfake. With just a 30-second clip from social media, criminals can clone a voice or a face. They create “Fake Digital Twins” to impersonate celebrities or CEOs to trick people into “investing” in scams. This is Identity Theft on steroids. We trust AI to give us answers. But what if someone “poisons” the data from where the AI learns? This is called LLM Poisoning. If an AI is fed biased or fake data, it will give you “poisoned” advice. It might tell a farmer the wrong time to plant seeds or give a patient the wrong medicine. Even worse is Prompt Injection. This is when a hacker “whispers” a trick command to a chatbot, making it ignore its safety rules to leak your private bank details or passwords.
We are also battling Fake Narratives. Organised gangs use “Counter-Narrative Intelligence” to create thousands of Fake Trollers. These bots can drown out the truth on social media in minutes, creating a fake sense of public
anger or support.
How Bharat is Fighting Back
You might ask, “Sir, if the enemy is so smart, are we sitting ducks?” Absolutely not. Bharat is leading the world in creating a “Preventive Digital State.” We aren’t just waiting for the crime to happen; we are building the walls now.
- The 3-Hour Takedown Rule: Our Government has just notified the IT Rules 2026. If someone makes a dirty or harmful deepfake of you, social media companies are now legally forced to remove it within two to three hours. This is the fastest response time in the world
- India AI Safety Institute (AISI): We have set up a national “watchdog” to test every AI model before it reaches your phone. If it’s biased or
easy to hack, it doesn’t get a “green signal” - Sovereign AI (BharatGen): We are building our own AI models, like BharatGen, trained on our languages and our culture. Why? So we don’t have to depend on foreign tech that doesn’t understand the difference between a village in Bihar and a street in New York
- AI vs. AI: We are using tools like MahaCrimeOS that help our police officers process thousands of fraud complaints in a single day using AI to “hunt” the hackers
As a former cop, I always say: “Vigilance is the best weapon.” Here are a few simple things you must do to keep your family safe:
The Family “Safe Word”: Sit with your family tonight. Decide on a secret word that only you know something like “Blue Mango” or “Pink Cycle.” If you ever get an urgent call from a “family member” asking for money, ask them for the safe word. If they don’t know it, hang up. It’s a clone.
The “Call Back” Rule: If your “boss” or “bank manager” calls you on WhatsApp asking for a rushed payment or your OTP, stop. Hang up. Call them back on their official number saved in your phone. Never trust the incoming screen name.
Beware the “Too Perfect” Email: AI makes no spelling mistakes. If you get an email that looks “too perfect,” uses your exact name, but creates a sense of extreme “urgency” or “fear,” it’s likely a Spear Phishing attempt. The Golden Hour (1930): If you lose money, every second counts. Don’t feel ashamed. Immediately dial 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in. We have an AI-driven network that can freeze that money before the criminal withdraws it. Look for the Label: Soon, all AI-generated photos and videos in India will have a “Watermark” or a label. Teach your children and elders to look for these labels before believing what they see.
Our Digital Dharma
In our ancient wisdom, we talk about Dharma as the right way to live. Today, we need Digital Dharma. Technology is a double-edged sword. It can be a “Devta” that helps us grow, or it can be a “Rakshasa” like the ten-headed Ravana, representing power without wisdom. At this summit, Prime Minister Modi spoke about making AI a force for “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India). But that journey depends on us. We must be “Cyber-Aware.” We must move from a culture of “blind trust” to a culture of “verification.”
Just recently, we saw a private university being kicked out of this very summit because they tried to pass off a foreign-made robot dog as their own innovation. It was a strong message: in the new Bharat, inauthentic behaviour will not be tolerated. We are building an AI that has a soul one that respects your privacy, your identity, and your hard-earned money. But remember, the final lock on the door is in your hands. Stay alert, stay safe, and let’s use this technology to build a Bharat that is not just “Smart,” but also “Secure.”
