Global IndiaAI Summit 2024: World needs to collectively figure out ways to stop AI misuse, says Ashwini Vaishnaw
Jul 03, 2024
Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 3, : Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday highlighted the need to curb the unethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Union Minister also outlined the launch of India's Artificial Intelligence mission. "In the coming few months, India will be launching the mission so that the power and potential of AI can be harnessed in the agriculture, education, healthcare, medicine, pharmaceuticals and all these sectors that are relevant to our society," the minister said.
Addressing the inaugural event of the two-day Global India AI Summit 2024 in the national capital, the minister said that although benefits of AI is clear in many areas, however, it comes with a lot of risk as well.
The Union Minister said, "With the potential of AI clearly visible in the general world along with consumption of the content world, to the industrial world and to the many other social sectors, there is a huge enthusiasm about how AI will change the way we live, the way we conduct business, and our society structure. Simultaneously, there is realisation of risk and dangers and threats to our social institution."
Mentioning the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections in India, he said we have realised during the elections how the misinformation gets multiplied with the help of AI.
"In the recent general elections, we have seen how disinformation, misinformation, and fake news can be a big threat. That threat gets multiplied manifold by the power of AI," he said.
He further added that it is not just India who is experiencing the heat of AI but its aftereffects are being felt all over the world in every society.
Vaishnaw underscoring the need to collectively work towards securing the use of AI said, "This is not something which only we are experiencing, the entire world has experienced the same. Every society and government is feeling the same threat from the emergence of new risks based on AI. The societies are responding in very methodical and thought-through ways... As we look at the potential of AI, we also need to collectively figure out a way, and what limits we need to pose on the technology, how this can be properly integrated with our social and democratic institutions," he highlighted"
Talking to the reporters after his inaugural speech at the event hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Minister said, "India is chairing the Global Partnership for AI. Throughout this year, lots of programs have happened where the potential of AI and the corresponding techno-legal steps that societies need to take to contain the risks, have been deliberated."
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need to democratise technology. The Union cabinet had approved India's AI mission a few months back and the ministry is working on the foundations and the groundwork for setting up the India AI mission, the minister said.