India’s Tryst with artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already begun transforming the way the world works. Constant efforts are being made to evolve and integrate it into various sectors, including but not limited to finance, agriculture, education, smart cities, health and security.

Countries across the globe are working on their AI muscles to reap maximum benefits in the spheres of economy, society, and governance by minimizing resource wastages.

In this respect, it is of special interest how India unfolds its tryst with AI. Contrary to the race to be the next AI Superpower as the US and China are engaged in, experts believe India has steered their AI into a more welfare-oriented and inclusive direction, with the motto “AI for All.”

Concerted efforts are being made in India by both public and private sectors to use AI to improve human capabilities in the field of education, health and employment, media reports citing government sources said.

“In the healthcare sector, AI-based start-ups like Niramai, SigTuple, CogniABle, and qure.ai are providing affordable and timely diagnosis and interpretation of medical images, especially in rural areas.”

To target the goals of improving education and employment, the Indian government has launched YUVAi, a national programme for school students.

This program intends to use India’s favourable demographic dividend by equipping school students with AI skills and producing human-centric AI tools.

To ensure inclusivity in AI learning and adoption, tools like Samantar AI, Gnani and Devanagiri have been developed to assist in translation, voice assistants and speech analytics products in regional languages.

In the agriculture and allied activities ecosystem, AI-based solutions are being readily provided by startups like CropIn, AgNext, and Aquaconnect. The AI tools also provide producers with supply chain management solutions for silk and seeds through startups like Reshamandi and DeHaat.

By international standards, India’s performance as per various AI adoption and assimilation measures has been laudable. As per the Stanford AI Index penetration report 2023, India ranks the highest in AI skill penetration rate, surpassing even the developed economies.

Owing to the tech-savvy human capital, India is among the leading contributors to AI-based projects. As per IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2022, India has one of the highest AI deployment and exploration scores, ranking at par with China, South Korea, the UK, and the US.

Seeing this growth, experts estimate that India will need about one million data science and AI professionals by 2045. An approximate contribution of 1 trillion to the Indian economy is expected by AI by 2035. India’s engagement with AI stands out because of three main factors.

First, its commitment to use AI for social development and inclusion as reflected in its mottos like “AI for All” and “AI for Greater Good.”

Second, the tapping of AI opportunities by both public and private sectors alike, accompanied by the government's assistance and push to AI-based entrepreneurship. The government intends to use AI-based fund-raising solutions for start-ups.

Third, the Indian government has joined leading economies, including the EU, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and others as a founding member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) to promote multi[1]stakeholder initiative for use of AI in responsible development promoting human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation and economic growth.

With these measures, India aims to become an AI garage for 40% of the world. In 2020, the Indian government launched the India AI program, a national portal to provide a single knowledge hub for India and the world, catering to the AI-based information needs of academicians, entrepreneurs, and professionals alike.

According to the Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar India's AI would emerge as one of the world's largest publicly assembled and available data sets. Moreover, in its ongoing G20 Presidency, India has identified “responsible AI” as one of its major themes. India’s commitment to Responsible AI is a call for a governance framework for the deployment of AI with special priority to users’ trust and safety.

Given the speedy expansion of AI in various spheres of human life, India is of the moral view that certain values of human life are non-negotiable.

Protection and reinforcement of positive human values, compliance and transparency are the main tenets of India’s AI framework. Given the risks involved in AI, ‘Responsible AI’ is India’s call for an evolving multi-stakeholder and accountable AI system observing the principles of security, reliability and privacy.

India is married to the belief that AI transformation should not come at the cost of human values and ethics. Consistent re-iteration of human values and welfare goals attached to AI makes India’s engagement with AI special.

With its pool of IT talent, demographic dividend and institutions, India has all the necessary ingredients to thrive in AI-related R&D and execution. Given the pace of its AI adoption and inclusive approach to AI adoption, India stands to become a global Guru in AI solutions in upcoming years.