Evolving the National Strategy for AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to disrupt our world. With intelligent machines enabling high-level cognitive processes like thinking, perceiving, learning, problem solving and decision making, coupled with advances in data collection and aggregation, analytics and computer processing power, AI presents opportunities to complement and supplement human intelligence and enrich the way people live and work. It is also true that technology is necessary for the inclusive growth.

India, being the fastest growing economy with the second largest population in the world, has a significant stake in the AI revolution. Recognising AI’s potential to transform economies and the need for India to strategise its approach, Hon’ble Finance Minister, in his last budget speech, mandated NITI Aayog to establish the National Program on AI with a view to guiding the research and development in new and emerging technologies. In pursuance of the above, NITI Aayog has adopted a three-pronged approach – undertaking exploratory proof-of-concept AI projects in various areas, crafting a national strategy for building a vibrant AI ecosystem in India and collaborating with various experts and stakeholders. Since the start of this year, NITI Aayog has partnered with several leading AI technology players to implement AI projects in critical areas such as agriculture and health. Learnings from these projects, under various stages of implementation, as well as our engagement with some of the leading institutions and experts have given a better perspective to our task of crafting the national strategy for AI which is the focus of this discussion paper.

This strategy document is premised on the proposition that India, given its strengths and characteristics, has the potential to position itself among leaders on the global AI map – with an unique brand of #AIforAll. The approach in this paper focuses on how India can leverage the transformative technologies to ensure social and inclusive growth in line with the development philosophy of the government. In addition, India would strive to replicate these solutions in other similarly placed developing countries.

#AIforAll will aim at enhancing and empowering human capabilities to address the challenges of access, affordability, shortage and inconsistency of skilled expertise; effective implementation of AI initiatives to evolve scalable solutions for emerging economies, and endeavors to tackle some of the global challenges from AI’s perspective, be it application, research, development, technology, or responsible AI; will focus on harnessing collaborations and partnerships, and aspires to ensure prosperity for all. Thus, #AIforAll means technology leadership in AI for achieving the greater good.

While evolving the national strategy for AI, the underlying thrust was to identify applications with maximum social impact; a willingness to learn from the best of the world when it comes to the recent technology advancements in AI; and leveraging approaches that democratize access to and further development of AI.

From an applications perspective, the approach is to identify sectors that may have the potential of greatest externalities while adopting AI solutions, and hence require the government to play a leading role in developing the implementation roadmap for AI. For example, the agriculture sector in India, which forms the bedrock of India’s economy, needs multi-layered technology infusion and coordination amongst several stakeholders. Efforts from private sector may neither be financially optimal nor efficient on a standalone basis, nor need sustained government intervention to tackle the existing challenges and constraints. Hence, India’s approach to implementation of AI has to be guided by optimization of social goods, rather than maximization of top line growth.

From a technology perspective, the strategy is to maximize the late-movers’ advantage. Acknowledging that India is some distance away from consistently delivering home grown pioneering technology solutions in AI, adapting and innovating the technology for India’s unique needs and opportunities would help it in leap frogging, while simultaneously building the foundational R&D capability aimed at ensuring competitiveness in the long run.

Solving for India, given the complexity and multi-dimensional aspects of most of our economic and societal challenges, can easily be extended to the rest of the emerging and developing economies. An integral part of India’s strategy for AI involves tackling common and complex global challenges that can be solved through technology intervention, and India’s scale and opportunity landscape provides the ideal test-bed to ensure sustainable and scalable solutions in building a truly transformative approach in pursuit of #AIforAll.