India should take the lead in the formulation of an acceptable template on the artificial intelligence (AI) related governance approach that could be adopted by the world’s largest economies considering the huge rise in the nation’s reputation as an evolver of global consensus on key issues following its successful conduct of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Summit.
While talking of “harnessing artificial intelligence responsibly for good and for all”, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration on the issue of AI said that G20 members “will pursue a pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach that maximizes the benefits and takes into account the risks associated with the use of AI”.
Sending out a message
India taking the initiative for G20 members to come up with an appropriate AI regulation/governance framework could ensure that a middle ground is reached more easily on this issue, considering the huge disparity that currently exists worldwide on where countries rank regarding the development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies. India taking on itself the role of a primary driver of discussions on the AI front would also send out a clear message of its intent to play a bigger role in shaping the direction in which the world should move regarding oversight of advanced technologies to ensure that these are being used the right way.
India being more assertive on global AI-related discussions could, moreover, ensure that the talks take cognizance of the impact that AI deployment could have on societies, especially in developing countries. While addressing the B20 Summit India 2023 held prior to the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had highlighted the need to focus on the societal impact of artificial intelligence. “The world is currently brimming with excitement about AI, but within this excitement, there are ethical considerations as well. Concerns are being raised about skilling and re-skilling, algorithmic bias, and the societal impact of AI. We all need to come together to address these issues,” the Prime Minister had said then.
Support from developing world
A strong India voice on the AI matter is likely to find huge support from other growing economies, especially those located in Africa. The African Union was included as a permanent member of the G20 at the just concluded G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi. Further, for a nation that has identified a technology-driven system as one of the foundational pillars (the others being vibrant demography, demand, economy, and infrastructure) on which rests its ambition of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), taking the initiative to steer global negotiations on the AI-related regulatory/governance approach in a direction that could benefit everybody may also work in fast-tracking India’s own growth plans.
As per the latest Global AI Index that ranks countries on the parameters of investment, innovation and implementation, the United States is clearly number one on the AI front far ahead of second-placed China. Incidentally, the US and China happen to be the world’s largest and second-largest economies.
Although ranked 14th overall in the Global AI Index, India is rated at the second position on the talent front (behind the US). India’s overall ranking was dented by the low ranking assigned to it on infrastructure. In the context of the availability of human talent and AI-related infrastructure in India, it may be relevant to mention that this issue had also been talked about recently by Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani. While outlining the company’s growth plans at RIL’s 46h AGM on August 28, Ambani had said, “India has the scale. India has the data. India has the talent. But we also need digital infrastructure in India that can handle AI’s immense computational demands”.
Sumali Moitra is a current affairs commentator. Twitter: @sumalimoitra. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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