India is set to lead discussions on the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit, scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The summit will convene stakeholders from 28 member countries and the European Union, with a focus on fostering a global consensus on the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
India, known for advocating the democratization of technology, will emphasize the potential of AI for sustainable agriculture and propose a collaborative structure similar to the Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPI) for harnessing AI’s power, according to the Minister of IT and Electronics, Mr. Vaishnaw.
Vaishnaw highlighted the growing global awareness of the risks and transformative potential of AI, noting that the world’s perspectives on AI are converging. Despite being a founding member of GPAI, China is notably absent from the initiative.
As the lead chair for GPAI in 2024, India is hosting the Annual GPAI Summit in New Delhi from December 12-14, 2023. The event will bring together startups, policymakers, and academia for technical sessions on responsible AI, aiming to converge on a harmonized global approach to AI governance.
The summit will facilitate discussions and ideation on tapping into the opportunities and benefits of AI. Vaishnaw expressed that the world looks to India for technology solutions and thought leadership on key issues like AI. He stressed that major countries seek collaboration with India for co-creation and technology development.
India’s digital stack solution, benefiting millions, and the acceptance of DPI by the G20 as a crucial construct were highlighted as significant achievements by Vaishnaw. He stated that the GPAI deliberations are expected to culminate in a consensus-driven declaration document.
“We are negotiating a declaration document, which we hope we will be able to arrive at some consensus,” Vaishnaw remarked. He added that there is a global convergence on how AI should be treated, emphasizing the need for guardrails and hinting at the possibility of a statement or declaration at the Summit.
The GPAI Summit comes at a time when global efforts are underway to govern AI, with nations taking steps to manage the risks associated with this promising technology. Earlier this year, the Biden Administration secured commitments from leading AI companies in the US to ensure safe, secure, and transparent AI development.
India’s approach, as outlined by Vaishnaw, involves balancing innovation and regulation. The GPAI Summit aims to contribute to a global approach to AI governance, bringing together common thinking on AI from various international forums.
The summit will feature multiple sessions on diverse topics such as AI and global health, education and skilling, AI and data governance, and a machine learning workshop. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the GPAI Summit, which will witness the participation of over 50 GPAI experts and more than 150 speakers from various countries.
In addition to the Research Symposium and AI Gamechangers Award, the summit will host the India AI Expo, showcasing the contributions of top AI gamechangers and winners of the YUVA AI initiative. Notable participants include Intel, Reliance Jio, Google, Meta, AWS, Yotta, Netweb, Paytm, Microsoft, Mastercard, NIC, STPI, Immerse, Jio Haptik, Bhashini, among others.
The GPAI Summit promises to be a significant platform for shaping the global discourse on AI governance, with India leading efforts towards consensus-driven policies and responsible AI development.