MUMBAI: History may be getting a digital makeover, but the Centre says it has yet to encounter AI rewriting the past. The Ministry of Culture has said it has not received any reported instances of artificial intelligence-generated content distorting India’s historical or cultural records, while confirming that AI policy remains under the purview of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the government is aware of AI’s growing relevance but has not reported any cases involving AI-generated videos, images, speeches, documentaries or other content affecting the authenticity of India’s historical record.
The minister also said no mechanism currently exists within the Ministry of Culture for identifying, verifying or authenticating AI-generated historical or cultural content. Instead, the National Archives of India (NAI) is examining how artificial intelligence can be applied constructively in the preservation and management of historical and cultural records.
On the question of regulation, the ministry clarified that it has not issued separate guidelines, standards or a dedicated framework governing the use of AI in creating or distributing historical and cultural content. It noted that policy matters relating to artificial intelligence are handled by MeitY.
While no AI-specific framework has been introduced by the Culture Ministry, it highlighted ongoing efforts to safeguard India’s archival heritage through large-scale digitisation. The ministry said it has awarded a contract to digitise 30 crore pages of archival material.
The digitised records are being uploaded to the Abhilekh Patal portal, the National Archives of India’s digital platform, making historical documents accessible to researchers, scholars and the wider public across the world.
The government’s response suggests that, for now, its priority lies in preserving and expanding access to authentic historical records rather than regulating AI-generated historical content. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of producing realistic text, images and videos, the question of how technology intersects with cultural heritage is likely to remain firmly on the policy agenda.
