Underlining the criticality of artificial intelligence (AI), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday 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 organisations getting their hands on AI tools, Modi stressed the need for countermeasures.
Speaking at the inaugural session of Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), he stressed upon the need for conviction, commitment, coordination and collaboration, from the entire world and not to waste even a moment in this direction.
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“We have to complete the global framework within a given time limit. It is very important to do this to protect humanity… Just like we have agreements and protocols for various international issues, we have to create a global framework for the ethical use of AI. This will include a protocol for testing and deployment of high-risk and frontier AI tools,” he said.
‘AI for All’
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.
He said that the government has also drafted its policies and programmes with the spirit of ‘AI for All’ and added 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.
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The Prime Minister also informed about initiating a National Programme on Artificial Intelligence, and the soon-to-be-launched AI Mission which aims to establish the computing powers of AI. This 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.
Inclusive AI
“As AI can connect people, it not only ensures economic development but it ensures equality and social justice. The more inclusive, the development journey of AI, the more inclusive will be the results,” he added.
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 and is hosting the annual GPAI Summit from December 12-14.
