Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the government was working to take maximum advantage of AI’s capabilities for social development and inclusive growth, and was initiating a national programme on Artificial Intelligence.

“The development mantra of India is ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas,” the prime minister said underlining that the government has drafted its policies and programmes with the spirit of AI for All.

After inaugurating the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit at Bharat Mandapam here, he said an AI mission would soon be launched which will establish the computing powers of AI. This, the prime minister said, will provide better services to start-ups and innovators in India and also promote AI applications in the sectors of agriculture, healthcare, and education.

He took a walk-through of the Global AI Expo. GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries aiming 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.

Addressing the gathering, Modi expressed delight in India chairing the GPAI Summit next year at a time when the entire world is debating about artificial intelligence. Noting both the positive and the negative aspects that are emerging, he underlined the responsibility enshrined upon each nation

The prime minister said today, India is the main player in the field of AI talent and AI-related ideas. A vibrant AI spirit is visible in India as the Indian youth is testing and pushing the frontier of AI tech, he said.

Referring to the exhibits in the AI exhibition at the Summit, he said the youth are trying to bring social change through technology. The Prime Minister said the recently launched AI agriculture chatbot will help farmers in various aspects of farming. He expounded on the use of AI in the fields of healthcare and Sustainable Development Goals.

Underlining the negative aspects of AI, Modi said 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 organizations getting their hands on AI tools, Prime Minister Modi stressed the need for countermeasures. He threw light on India’s proposal to create a framework for Responsible Human-Centric AI governance during India’s G20 Presidency and said that the G20 New Delhi Declaration has reaffirmed the commitment of all member countries towards ‘AI Principles’.

Stressing the need for conviction, commitment, coordination and collaboration, the prime minister called upon the entire world to not waste even a moment in this direction. “We have to complete the global framework within a given time limit. It is very important to do this to protect humanity,” he added.

Noting that AI has become a worldwide movement, the prime minister said there is the need for collaboration. 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 emphasised that in order to make any system sustainable it is important to make it transformative, transparent and trusted. “There is no doubt that AI is transformative but it is up to us to make it more and more transparent”, he added.

Keeping the data being used transparent and free from bias will be a good beginning, he said, adding that it is imperative to assure all the countries that no one will be left behind in the development journey of AI. Trust in AI will grow only when related ethical, economic and social aspects are addressed, he said.

One way to do this is to make upskilling and reskilling part of the AI growth curve, he said. Data protection and assurances to the global south will also assuage many concerns.