In the wake of the world contemplating the global ramifications of applying Artificial Intelligence to the human experience, several Indian organisations are calling on all stakeholders to participate in a timely debate on the development of AI in India. Pahle India Foundation, Zoho Corporation, Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan and iSPIRT Foundation have signed a common petition asking for a six-month period to create a blueprint for discussions surrounding AI in India.
Rajiv Kumar, the former vice chairman of NITI Aayog; Sridhar Vembu, the CEO of Zoho Corporation and chairman of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan; and Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation are among those calling for all AI researchers, policymakers, academicians, industry leaders, and members of the civil society to join the debate.
The move comes in the wake of an open letter from the Future of Life Institute calling for the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT 4 to be paused for six months. During this time, India is requested to analyze the real-life implications of AI and come up with their own roadmap for the utilization of this technology.
India, as a developing country with a median age of 29, stands to benefit significantly from this technology. Its utilization can raise labour productivity, build a knowledge society and most importantly, capitalize on the country’s young demographic dividend. While the technology has the potential to transform India, it can also have a chaotic impact on humanity if not managed in the right way.
Thus, the Pahle India Foundation, Zoho Corporation, Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan, and iSPIRT Foundation believe that a fruitful debate on Artificial Intelligence has to be initiated soon. The participation and contribution of all stakeholders is crucial to successfully discuss the rules of game for the development of AI in order to serve the goals of the global community; while continuing to work within ethical guidelines.
