IIT Madras’ WSAI to host AI Governance Conclave on October 22; focus on AI safety, measurement

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras’ Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) will host the Industry Conclave on AI Governance 2026 on October 22 to discuss AI measurement, safety and responsible deployment. Organised by the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI), the conclave will bring together industry representatives, researchers, policymakers and startups to explore how AI systems can be evaluated and governed in real-world settings, with a focus on India and the Global South.

The conclave will be held on the theme ‘AI Measurement and Governance’. It will focus on methods, tools and standards to evaluate AI systems for fairness, safety, robustness, privacy and security. The programme will include keynote talks, a panel discussion on AI and consumer rights, a fireside chat, hands-on workshops and a startup showcase.

Balaraman Ravindran, head of WSAI and CeRAI at IIT Madras, said measuring AI systems is essential to ensure effective governance.

Ravindran said, “Governance that isn't grounded in measurement remains a statement of intent, not a practice. If we want AI systems to be fair, safe, and robust, we need to be able to demonstrate its evaluation to be able to govern. That is the gap this conclave is designed to address."

AI systems are increasingly being used across industries and social settings, while policies and regulations governing their use continue to evolve. The conclave will discuss how organisations can assess AI systems in the contexts in which they are developed and deployed, including settings specific to India and its healthcare sector.

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IIT Madras AI Governance Conclave 2026: Keynote speakers

The conclave will feature keynote talks by Gopal Ramchurn of the University of Southampton, who is also CEO of Responsible AI UK (RAi UK), and Mohan Kankanahalli, Provost’s Chair Professor of Computer Science and director of the NUS AI Institute at the National University of Singapore.

The talks will examine AI governance and the measurement infrastructure needed to support the development and deployment of trustworthy AI systems.

Ramchurn said the growing use of AI, particularly agentic AI systems that can operate with limited human supervision, has raised questions about accountability and risk management.

He said, “The Industry Conclave on AI Governance could not be timelier. AI, and agentic AI in particular, knows no borders. Agents will operate everywhere, often without human supervision."

Ramchurn added, "This conclave will address the most pressing technical and governance questions: who is responsible for the actions of deployed AI, how that responsibility can be traced, and what can be done to mitigate the risks of rogue behaviour. I look forward to seeing the world-leading research being undertaken at CeRAI, IIT Madras, to address these issues.”

Kankanahalli highlighted the challenges of evaluating AI models as their capabilities develop rapidly.

He said, “AI model capabilities are increasing rapidly and benchmarks quickly become obsolete, which makes principled measurement challenging. Good governance, however, needs accurate measurement. I look forward to the discussions at the conclave."

AI and consumer rights panel at IIT Madras

The programme will include a fireside chat on AI measurement and governance between Rahul Matthan, partner at Trilegal, and Prof. Balaraman Ravindran.

A panel discussion on AI and consumer rights will feature S. Saroja, executive director of Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group; Saranya Gopinath, head of policy at Razorpay; Shouvik Guha, faculty member at the National University of Juridical Sciences; and Saksham Malik, government affairs and public policy manager at Google India.

The discussion will be moderated by Vibhav Mittal, partner at Anand and Anand and affiliate research fellow at CeRAI.

The session will bring together perspectives from consumer advocacy, industry, academia and legal practice to discuss issues related to AI governance and consumer rights.

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Startup showcase and responsible AI workshops

The conclave will feature a startup showcase with companies working in AI measurement, evaluation, observability, compliance and governance. The showcase will provide opportunities for startups to engage with researchers and policy experts.

CeRAI researchers will present the centre’s research highlights, evaluation methods and open-source tools for responsible AI development and deployment.

Three parallel hands-on workshops will focus on responsible AI tools and frameworks. The conclave will also see the launch of a new research initiative and the announcement of a research paper, with further details to be shared at the event.