World looking for AI leadership from India: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The world is looking for thought leadership on key issues like 6G and artificial intelligence (AI) from India, said Union Telecom, Electronics & IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, setting the stage for India’s hosting of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit, which will kick off in New Delhi on Tuesday.

More than 150 delegates from 29 member countries as well as some ‘visitor countries’ like UAE will participate in the worldwide platform on AI, of which India is the incoming chairman. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the global summit on Tuesday evening.

Vaishnaw said India will also be aiming for consensus amongst the member nations for a declaration document on AI by the end of the summit, which would focus on AI promoting innovation even while its risks are dealt with.

“The world’s thinking on AI is converging,” Vaishnaw said, adding how PM Modi’s vision to democratise technology can be applied to AI as well. “India’s approach is clear, benefits of technology should be taken worldwide and risks also have to be mitigated.”

Discussions at this week’s summit will be on both risks as well as opportunities, Vaishnaw said. “There is a good convergence on how the world views AI. The thrust of this summit is to find those common grounds, and how to achieve a balance between innovation and regulation.”

Upon India’s insistence, use of AI for sustainable agriculture is a topic this summit will look into. The Outcome Document at the last GPAI, held in Osaka, Japan, was on responsible AI. The recent Bletchley Declaration after the AI Safety Summit in the UK last month is also likely to find resonance in the final declaration document to be adopted at GPAI Delhi.

Vaishnaw also reiterated that India is a leading force to contend with in the field of AI. “Talent intensity in AI in India is ranked among the top 3 in the world,” he said.