Why AI Innovation Is Yet To Take Root In India: Expert Panel Answers

Saurabh Kumar Sahu, Managing Director & Lead, India Business, Accenture said Artificial Intelligence, analytics and emerging technologies need to be a part of India's mainstream education to ensure initiatives in the field. "We have to look at what enables people to become inventors. Like computer science was part of the educational policy, AI needs to be a part of the education system too. Also, freedom of expression of experimentation and a sense that it is okay to fail is important," he said.

Quoting 'DPI to the power of AI', Dr Rohini Srivathsa, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft India & South Asia said AI will exponentially increase the impact of digital public infrastructure, which includes Aadhaar and UPI.

In a discussion titled 'AI and tech: The new frontiers of disruption', saw California-based EssentialAI co-founder Niki Parmar saying she is mulling returning to India and working on AI. "It is remarkable to see how we have pushed the frontier of this technology. Today we have AI, where a single model understands a lot of things about the world. In future, they will be learning from users itself and will help us with innovations and discoveries," she said.

Dr Srivathsa said AI, in every sector, will change the way customers are serviced, change the processes and even the way products are designed. However, sectors like healthcare and education will see AI doing things that were not possible earlier. 

"For example, it is impossible for doctors to keep up with latest in any specialisation across the world. An AI assistant can look at such cases. In education, AI will make us celebrate diversity, because learning will no longer need anyone to know English," she said, calling AI a one-in-a-generation opportunity for inclusive and sustainable growth.

AI will enable anyone to become a domain expert in the future, Ms Parmar said, because the models will start learning from experts and provide easier learning.

The panel of experts worded a note of caution when it came to regulation of AI. "Like with any powerful technology, it is not clear what all things it can do. We ourselves cannot imagine the way people will use AI. So to have dialogue to understand what regulation and use of AI means would be ideal. Also, how do we align models to act in human's best interest?" Ms Parmar asked.

Accenture has a chief responsible AI officer, Mr Sahu said, adding that responsible AI is a necessity and not a choice. Ms Srivathsa added that security, privacy and safety are the three pillars of trusthworthy AI.