India, April 13 -- For businesses using artificial intelligence, and especially those experimenting with autonomous AI agents, this is not just a legal issue. It is an operating model issue. From India to Europe, from parts of Africa to the United States, the message is becoming harder to ignore: if your systems rely on personal data, you need to know what you are collecting, why you are collecting it, and whether you can show that the individual agreed to it in a meaningful way.

Step back from the details of each jurisdiction, and a clear pattern begins to emerge. Lawmakers in very different markets are moving in a similar direction. Personal data must be processed on a lawful basis. Consent must be informed and capable of being demonst...