PM Modi calls for open-source AI systems, unbiased datasets at Paris AI Summit

French President Emmanuel Macron and PM Narendra Modi at the Elysee Palace as part of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris. (Courtesy: Reuters photo)

Countries should build open-source artificial intelligence (AI) systems with unbiased datasets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the AI Action Summit in Paris on February 11.

“We must develop open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency. We must build quality data sets free from biases. We must democratize technology and create people-centric applications,” Modi addressed a gathering that is being co-chaired by India.

This Summit follows the UK's AI Safety Summit in 2023 and South Korea’s AI Seoul Summit in 2024, reinforcing India's commitment to shaping global AI governance.

India is co-chairing the AI Governance theme alongside France and Canada.

Modi added that the issue of energy-guzzling AI needs to be looked into, and will require green power to fuel its future.

“At the same time, sustainable AI does not only mean using clean energy. AI models must also be efficient and sustainable in size, data needs, and resources requirements,” he added.

Modi further said that the human brain manages to compose poetry and design spaceships using less power than light bulbs.

He also asked the powers that be, to address concerns related to cyber security, disinformation, and deepfakes.

Touching upon the debate of data localisation, he said it must be ensured that technology is rooted in local ecosystems for it to be effective and useful.

On fears related to job loss due to AI, he said history has shown that work does not disappear due to technology, however, its nature changes, and new types of jobs are created.

“Today, we need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future,” Modi said.

Meanwhile, he said India has one of the largest AI talent pools. Adding that the country is building its own large-language model (LLM), considering India’s diversity.

On January 30, India announced plans to develop its own Generative AI model, joining the ranks of global players like OpenAI's ChatGPT and China's DeepSeek. The initiative, announced by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, will be powered by the India AI Compute Facility, which has secured 18,693 GPUs to drive the development of an LLM tailored specifically for India.

“We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like compute power,” Modi added.

As part of the India AI Mission, the government has prioritised establishing a shared computing resource. India will share its experience and expertise to ensure that the AI future is for good and for all, he added.

“Some people worry about machines becoming superior in intelligence to humans. But no one holds the key to our collective future and shared destiny. Other than us humans. That sense of responsibility must guide us,” he said.