Prime Minister Narendra Modi Announces Plan To Launch An AI Mission

The government of India will launch an artificial intelligence mission that will promote AI applications in agriculture, healthcare and education sectors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The AI mission will build computing capacities that will offer a leg-up for innovators and startups in the country, he said while speaking at the Global Partnership for AI Summit in New Delhi on Tuesday.

India will take AI skill training to tier-2 and tier-3 cities through its industrial training institutes, the Prime Minister said in his inaugural address.

The GPAI Summit is a three-day event at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, which will see 28 countries represented along with the EU. India is the current chair of the alliance after taking the baton from Japan.

Under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the government already has an ongoing programme called the National AI Portal, or INDIAai, which serves as a content repository for AI initiatives.

PM Modi also took the opportunity to stress the potential and pitfalls associated with AI. He highlighted the challenges of deepfakes, cybersecurity risks and data theft, while adding that AI tools in the wrong hands could threaten global security.

India is a big player in AI talent and related ideas, he said. "Young technology experts and researchers are exploring AI limits and we are seeing an enthusiastic AI innovation spirit," he said.

A recent bulletin from the RBI noted that artificial intelligence has emerged as a major area of interest for FDI as well. Of the 778 projects (total worth $26.8 billion) related to R&D of Al applications announced globally since 2016, India received the maximum share (26.2%), followed by Canada, Singapore, Israel, and the U.S.

Modi highlighted the potential of AI for social development and inclusive growth through 'AI for All'. He also said that with as many positive aspects of AI, there are also negative aspects related to it that are of equal concern.

"India is committed to the responsible and ethical use of AI," he said. The participating countries of the GPAI Summit must collaborate to create a global framework for the ethical use of AI, PM Modi said.

"To make any system sustainable, it needs to be transformative, transparent and free from bias... AI is transformative, but it is on us to make it more transparent and free from bias," he said.