
'AI is writing code for humanity': PM Modi pushes for innovation, global good
Even as he advocated sharing the benefits of AI with all, especially the Global South, he also cautioned about the biases in Artificial Intelligence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (February 11) made a strong case for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards for artificial intelligence (AI) to uphold shared values and address risks.
Co-Chairing the AI Action Summit along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Modi said that AI is changing the polity, economy, security and society.
“There is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that uphold our shared values, address risks and build trust,” Modi said, adding that AI is writing the code for humanity in this century.
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Addresses job loss concerns
Referring to apprehensions about job losses on account of AI, the prime minister said, “Loss of jobs is AI's most feared disruption, but history has shown that work does not disappear due to technology, only its nature changes. We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future.”
Even as he advocated sharing the benefits of AI with all, especially the Global South, he also cautioned about the biases in Artificial Intelligence.
“We must pull together our resources and talent and develop open source systems that enhance trust and transparency and develop quality datasets free from biases in order to benefit the world. AI must be about people-centric applications. We must address concerns related to cyber security, disinformation, and deep fakes,” PM Modi said, as leaders from across the world listened.
‘AI can transform millions of lives’
Stressing the need for concerted global efforts to manage AI, PM Modi said, “Governance is not just about managing risks and rivalries. It is also about promoting innovation and deploying it for the global good."
He asserted that governance is about ensuring access to everyone. “It is where the capabilities are most lacking be it power, talent, or data for the financial resources. AI can help transform millions of lives by improving health, education, agriculture and so much more. It can help create a world in which the journey to sustainable development goals becomes easier and faster,” ANI quoted Modi as saying.
Also read: AI won't trigger job cuts, it will automate manual jobs: Sr VP, HCL Tech
Highlights India’s achievements
PM Modi also highlighted India’s achievements in the tech industry, saying it has successfully built a digital public infrastructure for over 1.4 billion people at a very low cost. “We have unlocked the power of data through our data empowerment and protection architecture, and we have made digital commerce democratic and accessible to all," he added.
“Today, India leads in AI adoption and techno-legal solutions on data privacy. We are developing AI applications for public good and have one of the world’s largest AI talent pools. India is building its own large language model, considering our diversity. We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like computing power, making it available to our startups and researchers at an affordable cost," the PM further said.