4 min readSep 11, 2026 07:39 PM IST
Sitharaman called for a lighter regulatory approach for the fintech sector to address emerging risks without stifling innovation. (Image: @nsitharamanoffc/X)Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday termed artificial intelligence (AI) a double-edged sword, flagging the risks posed by emerging technologies such as agentic AI, tokenisation and quantum computing. AI also has the potential to influence electoral outcomes in some cases, she said.
“The model that I’m referring to, I’m not naming it, is fully capable of influencing the opinion on the ground without people even sensing that they are being influenced. To the extent that me, being a minister, being in politics, I’m clearly seeing it capable of influencing elections,” Sitharaman said at the Global Fintech Fest here.
Her comments came in the wake of reports that a researcher who had worked at both Anthropic and OpenAI had raised concerns about major AI companies focusing more on competing with rivals than developing the technology responsibly.
