The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi yesterday. The Prime Minister also took a walk-through of the Global AI Expo. GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities. India is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed delight in India chairing the GPAI Summit next year at a time when the entire world is debating about artificial intelligence. Noting both the positive and the negative aspects that are emerging, the Prime Minister underlined the responsibility enshrined upon each nation and recalled interacting with various industry leaders of AI and having discussions regarding GPAI Summit. He stated that AI has had an impact on every country, be it small or big and suggested moving forward with caution. Prime Minister Modi underlined that the discussion at GPAI Summit will give direction and secure the fundamental roots of humanity.

The Prime Minister said that today, India is the main player in the field of AI talent and AI-related ideas. A vibrant AI spirit is visible in India as the Indian youth is testing and pushing the frontier of AI tech, he said. Referring to the exhibits in the AI exhibition at the Summit, the Prime Minister said that these youth are trying to bring social change through technology. The Prime Minister informed about the recently launched AI agriculture chatbot which will help farmers in various aspects of farming. The Prime Minister also expounded on the use of AI in the fields of healthcare and Sustainable Development Goals.

“The development mantra of India is ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’”, the Prime Minister said, underlining that the government has drafted its policies and programs with the spirit of AI for All. He said that the government strives to take maximum advantage of AI’s capabilities for social development and inclusive growth, while also committing to its responsible and ethical usage. The Prime Minister informed about initiating a National Program on Artificial Intelligence, and the soon-to-be-launched AI Mission which aims to establish the computing powers of AI. This, the Prime Minister said, will provide better services to startups and innovators in India and also promote AI applications in the sectors of agriculture, healthcare and education. He also mentioned taking AI-related skills to Tier 2 and 3 cities via educational training institutes. Speaking about India’s national AI portal that promotes AI initiatives, the Prime Minister mentioned the AIRAWAT initiative and informed that the common platform will soon be open for every research lab, industry and startup.

Stressing the importance of AI, the PM said that AI is becoming the biggest basis for sculpting the new future. As AI can connect people, it not only ensures economic development but it ensures equality and social justice. He emphasized the need to make AI more inclusive and said that “the more inclusive, the development journey of AI, the more inclusive will be the results.” He mentioned the unequal access to technology in the last century further accentuating inequality in the society. To avoid this, the Prime Minister asked that democratic values should not be neglected in technology to make it an inclusion multiplier. “Direction of AI development will totally depend on human and democratic values. It is up to us to keep a place for emotions along with efficiency, ethics along with effectiveness”, he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that in order to make any system sustainable it is important to make it transformative, transparent and trusted. “There is no doubt that AI is transformative but it is up to us to make it more and more transparent”, he added. Keeping the data being used transparent and free from bias will be a good beginning, he said. He said that it is imperative to assure all the countries that no one will be left behind in the development journey of AI. Trust in AI will grow only when related ethical, economic and social aspects are addressed. One way to do this is to make upskilling and reskilling part of the AI growth curve, he said. Data protection and assurances to the global south will also assuage many concerns.

Underlining the negative aspects of AI, the Prime Minister said that even though it has the potential to become the strongest tool for development in the 21st century, it can also play a pivotal role in its destruction. Pointing out the challenges of deepfake, cyber security, data theft and terrorist organizations getting their hands on AI tools, Prime Minister Modi stressed the need for countermeasures. He threw light on India’s proposal to create a framework for Responsible Human-Centric AI governance during India’s G20 Presidency and said that the G20 New Delhi Declaration has reaffirmed the commitment of all member countries towards ‘AI Principles’. He emphasized working together just like the agreements and protocols on various international issues and creating a framework for the ethical use of AI, including the testing and development of high-risk or frontier AI tools. Stressing the need for conviction, commitment, coordination and collaboration, the Prime Minister called upon the entire world to not waste even a moment in this direction. “We have to complete the global framework within a given time limit. It is very important to do this to protect humanity”, he added.

Noting AI as a worldwide movement, the Prime Minister stressed the need for collaboration. He suggested a few questions that need to be addressed to enhance AI’s credibility such as data sets for testing and training AI tools, length and duration of testing before releasing any product to the market. He also asked whether a Software Watermark can be introduced to mark any information or product as AI-generated.

Addressing the stakeholders in the government, the Prime Minister asked them to explore the data of various schemes for evidence-based decision-making and see if the data can be used to train AI tools. He asked if there could be an audit mechanism that can categorize AI tools into red, yellow or green as per their capabilities. “Can we establish an institutional mechanism that ensures resilient employment? Can we bring standardized global AI education curriculum? Can we set standards to prepare people for an AI-driven future?”, the Prime Minister continued.

Noting the hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects in India, the Prime Minister suggested using AI to make digital services available in local languages to increase digital inclusion. He also suggested using AI to revive the languages which are no longer spoken, taking forward the rich knowledge base and literature of the Sanskrit language and reuniting the missing volumes of Vedic mathematics.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the GPAI Summit will prove to be an excellent opportunity for the exchange of ideas and a great learning experience for every delegate. “Over the next two days, you will delve into various aspects of AI. I hope that the outcomes, when implemented, will definitely pave the way for building a responsible and sustainable future”, the Prime Minister concluded.

Union Minister for Electronics, Information & Technology, Shri Ashvini Vaishnav, Union Minister of State for Electronics, Information & Technology, Shri Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Minister of Outgoing Chair of GPAI and Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Government of Japan, Mr Hiroshi Yoshida, and Secretary of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Shri S Krishnan were present on the occasion among others.

Background

GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries, which aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities. India is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024. As one of the founding members of GPAI in 2020, the current incoming Support Chair of GPAI, and the Lead Chair for GPAI in 2024, India is hosting the Annual GPAI Summit from December 12-14, 2023.

Multiple sessions on diverse topics like AI & global health, education and skilling, AI and data governance, and ML Workshop, among others will be organised during the summit.  Other attractions at the summit include Research Symposium, AI Gamechangers Award and India AI Expo.

The summit will witness the participation of 50+ GPAI experts and 150+ speakers from across the countries.  Further, Top AI Gamechangers from across the world will be participating in different events including Intel, Reliance Jio, Google, Meta, AWS, Yotta, Netweb, Paytm, Microsoft, Mastercard, NIC, STPI, Immerse, Jio Haptik, Bhashini etc. Besides, students who are winners under YUVA AI initiative and start-ups will also showcase their AI models and solutions.

Ajay KR