New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday strongly pitched for democratising artificial intelligence, and said some countries believe that AI should be developed in a confidential and closed manner but India thinks it will truly serve the good of the world when it is shared and its codes are open.
Inaugurating the India AI Impact Summit here, Modi unveiled the ‘MANAV’ vision for a human-centric approach and use of artificial intelligence (AI) with a strong accent on sovereignty and inclusivity.
He asserted that the country does not fear AI but sees a fortune in it and a blueprint of tomorrow.
“Some countries believe that AI should be developed in a confidential and closed manner. But India is different. We believe AI will truly serve the good of the world when it is shared and its codes are open. Only then will millions of young minds be able to improve it further,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of child safety, the prime minister said just as school syllabi are curated, the AI space must also be child-safe and family-guided.
He said there are two kinds of people – those who see fear in AI and those who see fortune – and asserted that India sees fortune and future in AI, backed by talent, energy capacity and policy clarity.
Welfare and happiness of all is “our benchmark” for AI to ensure that humans don’t become a data point or raw material, Modi stressed.
“I present the MANAV vision for AI where M stands for moral and ethical systems, A for accountable governance, N for national sovereignty, A for accessible and inclusive, and V for valid and legitimate,” Modi said in the presence of world leaders at the Bharat Mandapam here.
The prime minister also said the MANAV vision will become a crucial link for humanity’s welfare in the AI-driven world of the 21st century.
AI, he said, must be given an open sky, but command must remain in human hands.
Global leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Swiss President Guy Parmelin, and CEOs from leading technology companies from around the world were among those present at the Summit.
India’s strides in AI were showcased during Modi’s speech, which was dubbed live in 11 languages along with an AI-enabled sign language interpretation.
The AI-enabled sign language interpretation was projected on a large screen behind the prime minister, ensuring that the speech was accessible to everyone.
Later, addressing a leaders’ plenary session, the prime minister said India has built a vibrant digital public infrastructure, which it is sharing with the world because for the country, technology is not a medium of power but of service, not to dominate but to empower.
“In recent years, India has built a vibrant digital public infrastructure and is sharing it with the world, because for India, technology is not a medium of power but of service, not to dominate but to empower. The AI too must follow this direction to ensure the welfare of humanity,” he said.
He also stressed that as the future of AI is discussed, the aspirations and priorities of the Global South must be placed at the centre of AI governance.
The prime minister emphasised that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ensured seamless online transactions even in difficult circumstances and played a major role in bridging the digital divide.
He also said that India is providing its startups with world-class computing power at highly-affordable rates.
India also created the AIKosh national dataset platform, through which more than 7,500 datasets and 270 AI models have been shared as national resources, he said.
The prime minister emphasised that India’s direction and vision for AI are clear, which is, AI is a shared resource for the welfare of humanity.
Recalling Lord Buddha’s teaching that “right action comes from right understanding”, Modi stressed the importance of creating a roadmap that ensures AI’s positive impact through timely, well-intentioned, and correct decisions.
He said that “aspirational India” has a major role in the global journey of AI, and, recognising this responsibility, India is taking significant steps.
The prime minister also cautioned that while ethics have always been central to human progress, with AI, the scope of unethical behaviour is unlimited.
Ethical norms for AI must also be unlimited, and the AI companies carry a major responsibility to focus not only on profit but also on purpose, he said, underscoring the need for strong ethical commitments.
Modi also emphasised the need to build a global AI ecosystem that is human-centric and sensitive.
After all, he said, humanity has always turned disruptions into opportunities, and the rise of AI presents yet another such key opportunity.
“Let us work together to create a roadmap that ensures that AI delivers the right impact, and this can happen when we take the right decisions, at the right time, with the right policies,” he said.
Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic, Estonia President Alar Karis, Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay were among the other top leaders present at the event.
The AI Impact Summit is being held from February 16-20 at the Bharat Mandapam, in which more than 500 global AI leaders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 chief technology officers, vice-presidents, and philanthropists are taking part.
