AI can drive greater telecom network autonomy, but accountability remains crucial: TRAI Chairman

New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): Artificial intelligence (AI) can help India’s telecom sector move towards greater network autonomy, but increased automation must not come at the cost of accountability, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said.
Addressing CO.AI 2026 in New Delhi, Lahoti said AI should expand human potential, empower human choice and protect human dignity, stressing that the technology is more than just another network generation or application layer.
“AI is not simply another network generation or another application layer. It is a capability that can influence how networks are managed, how services are designed, how risks are identified and how decisions are made.”
He further noted that telecom networks are among the “most complex” infrastructure systems in the country and said the industry could move beyond conventional automation towards systems with greater autonomy.
However, he stressed that “automation should improve outcomes but not obscure accountability,” adding that the transition towards greater autonomy must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards.
Highlighting India’s potential, Lahoti said the country has three key assets — a massive digital population, one of the world’s largest telecom markets and a growing AI and technology ecosystem.
Against this backdrop, Lahoti said AI is helping operators use network data more intelligently, provide better services. 
“Over time, the industry can move from conventional automation towards systems with a much greater degree of autonomy,” he said stressing, “Telecom operators and technology companies need to invest in responsible AI and maintain human oversight for high-impact systems.”
Lahoti further said India has already demonstrated its ability to build digital systems at an extraordinary scale, but the next phase would require combining that scale with intelligence and trust.
From a regulatory perspective, he said TRAI remains committed to enabling the responsible deployment of AI technologies and fostering a resilient ecosystem that supports digital inclusion and sustainable growth in the telecom sector.
“India's next digital transformation will not be defined merely by how many people we connect, but by how intelligently, securely, inclusively, and responsibly we connect them,” he noted. (ANI)