14 October,2026 03:03 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Sunil Mittal says AI regulatory framework is needed
Amid the growing concerns over the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal on Wednesday called for AI regulation and said it will be "foolish" to let the technology develop without any safeguards, according to news agency PTI.
Mittal said the technology or its growth need not be stifled but pointed out that there have been instances of AI agents running rogue which needs to be addressed.
He noted that governments and policymakers are struggling to keep pace with the speed of AI proliferation. He asserted that regulations need to be thought through now, before something goes wrong.
India is putting out a consultation paper on regulations, and guardrails around AI, he said.
Citing growing concern voiced by prominent global tech founders and instances of AI agents behaving unpredictably or running "rogue," Mittal said, "It is not something that, we can take lightly."
"So suddenly, you're seeing a scrambling around the government corridors, policymakers to say, how we can secure our nation when we introduce AI in every aspect of our lives," he said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026.
As people are increasingly using artificial intelligence and the adoption of AI agents continues to expand, Mittal questioned, "Are we going to wake up only when an accident happens or we do it before?"
The Bharti Airtel Chairman said he does not want to stifle AI or stop its growth, but that it would be "foolish" to let the technology develop with no safeguards.
"We need to think about the regulation. I don't think we need to stifle it or stop the growth of it, but equally, it will be foolish for anybody to think that we can let it flow to a level, and then if an accident happens, then we'll think about it," he said adding that the time to decide on these issues is now.
Mittal said the AI system cannot operate in isolation and must be part of a global system.
Giving the example of the aviation sector, he said that it runs on an international framework governing how slots are allocated and how flights operate across countries, regardless of nationality or flag.
He said the same logic should apply to AI systems, irrespective of the country they originate from, be it China, US or elsewhere.
"Unfortunately, that conversation is not happening at the pace it should," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
