Artificial intelligence (AI) and data have the potential to contribute significantly to India’s economy, with a predicted addition of US$500 billion to the GDP by 2025. It’s expected that AI will create a multitude of new job opportunities in India over the next five years.
According to a report titled “State of Data Science and AI Skills in India: Data and the Art of Smart Intelligence,” prepared by Nasscom in association with Salesforce and Draup, India has achieved remarkable rankings in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It holds the first position in terms of AI skill penetration and AI talent concentration and ranks fifth in AI scientific publications.
However, there’s a growing concern about job loss in the IT sector, currently dominated by low-end AI talent. The prompt introduction of generative AI, such as ChatGPT by OpenAI in 2022, has only added to these concerns.
India’s slow adoption of new AI technologies like gen-AI, is primarily because of funding constraints and a lack of clear understanding by government and investors.
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How Can India Promote Responsible And Inclusive AI
- To maintain its growth in the AI sector, India can’t overlook the need to incorporate gen-AI into its ecosystem.
India must implement educational programs aimed at enhancing skills in frontier technologies like AI. - There’s a pressing need for increased funding from both the government and private sector for local tech companies developing AI systems for diverse sectors. This could pave the way for the next big AI innovation to originate from India.
- India needs to work more with its strategic partners and multilateral groups on AI-related trade and developments. Partners include the US, Russia, the EU, and the Quad.
- For India to advance in the AI revolution, the first thing it needs to do is to update and diversify its AI policies. This started in 2018 with the release of India’s National Strategy on AI by NITI Aayog. However, given the progress made in AI over the past five years, this strategy needs updating and adjusting to the current situation.
- As the current president of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), India has the opportunity to lead the global conversation on general-purpose AI technologies. It can promote AI that is responsible and inclusive, which aligns with its policy priorities.
- The Indian government understands that it can’t progress in AI without the help of the AI knowledge communities. Therefore, it has issued a call for papers for the annual GPAI summit later this year.
Way Forward
- India must adopt a “hydra” approach to solidify and enhance its emerging status in the AI ecosystem.
- The nation’s core AI philosophy and roadmap need to be consolidated into one governing body and national policy.
- Separate guidelines, standards, and strategies should be maintained for different sectors, ensuring effective policy synthesis and implementation.
- Partnerships between the government, industry, academia, and civil society are key to strengthening this structural framework.
- To safeguard India’s position in the AI era, it is crucial to regularly assess emerging AI technologies and analyze the nation’s responses to them.
- This proactive approach will ensure that India remains strong, future-oriented, and well-prepared in the face of technological advancements.