The Society on AI Governance and Ethics (SAIGE) at BITS Law School recently organised the second edition of its flagship event, ETH[AI]CON, a policy and strategy competition centred on artificial intelligence governance, ethics, and regulation.
ETH[AI]CON is designed to test participants on the complexities of AI governance through simulated real-world decision-making scenarios. Teams were required to draft and defend policy proposals while addressing legal, economic, and ethical considerations.
The problem statement for this edition focused on liability allocation following an AI-led military operation's facility burst. Participants presented opposing perspectives and proposed legal amendments aimed at ensuring accountability.
The competition was judged by Acting Dean and Professor of Law Dr. Vishwas Devaiah, Professor of Accounting and Finance Dr. Anand Mishra, Assistant Professor of Law Prashant Singh, Assistant Professor of Law Meghna Sharma, and Teaching and Research Fellow Mr. Soumik Chakraborty.
Deep Daftary and Manaal Shaikh (2024–29 cohort) won the 'Best Team Overall' award. The 'Best Creative Presentation' award was secured by Praneel Shukla and Atharv Shiv Sud (2023–28 cohort), while Deep Daftary (2024–29 cohort) was also awarded 'Best Speaker'.
The event was supported by sponsors including Badaya and Co. and Ruhil Future Technologies as event partners; The Old Nostalgia Shop as digital partner; Amex Sports as apparel partner; Lawveo as knowledge partner; and LiveLaw as the exclusive media partner.
The event concluded with participants reporting an enriching experience, supported by efficient organisation, seamless judging, and active engagement throughout the competition.