India for inclusion of Global South as world shapes future of AI

New Delhi [India], December 14 : Union Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday stressed the need for the inclusion of countries in the Global South as the world shapes the future of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Nations that are regarded as having a relatively low level of economic and industrial development are referred to as the Global South.
"Yesterday, it was decided by all the countries that the future of AI should be inclusive, it should not be left to one or two countries alone...We must include countries of the Global South as we shape the future of AI," Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters.
"As you can see today in the expo, there are hundreds of startups from India that are already signalling to the world how mature the Indian AI ecosystem is...India will play an important role in shaping the governance and innovation of AI," he added.
The minister asserted that most countries are now coming out and saying what India has always been saying on regulating Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
India's stance has been that the internet and every other emerging technology should be deployed in a "safe and trusted" manner.
The Union minister met Viscount Camrose, UK's Minister of AI and Intellectual Property and Hiroshi Yoshida, Japan's Vice Minister of Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
After the meeting, Minister Rajeev said they spoke about what governments are looking, how governments of like-minded countries are looking at regulating AI, what are the issues of safety and trust that governments are looking at, and what are the governments' role in enabling the growth of AI.
"So think it was a very interesting conversation. And what India has been saying, for now, several months and years about making sure that the Internet and indeed every emerging technology is deployed in a safe and trusted manner is a thought that most countries are now coming around to and agreeing with," Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters yesterday.
Meanwhile, three-day Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence summit concluded here in the national capital, where influential minds from various sectors have gathered to discuss and collaborate the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).
Since its inception in June 2020, India has made significant contributions to this Summit by actively engaging in various initiatives to foster the development, deployment, and adoption of open, safe, secure, and accountable AI.
The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is an international initiative established to guide the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence in a manner that respects human rights and the shared democratic values of its members.
Ahead of the summit, PM Modi asserted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was one area where its applications were expanding at an exponential rate.
"This revolutionary technology is now in the hands of a new generation - young, brilliant minds who are swiftly enriching its vast potential. India, as one of the youngest nations with a vibrant start-up ecosystem and a talented workforce, is poised to be an active contributor to the evolution of AI as the world leaps into a not-so-distant future" the PM had said in his LinkedIn post.
"In the last 9-10 years, India and its citizens have leap-frogged with the help of technology. It won't be an exaggeration to say that India achieved, in a matter of few years, what took other countries a generation. This was possible through the fast-paced penetration of mobiles along with internet connectivity and scalable models for digital inclusion" the PM further wrote.
Later speaking at the summit, PM Modi raised concerns over deep fake and other cons of artificial intelligence.
PM Modi said that the deep fake challenge is for the entire world as it could be used to create 'deepfakes' to purposefully spread false information or have malicious intent behind their use.
If AI enables arms to reach the hands of terror groups, then it could have a devastating effect, and the world needs to think about it, the Prime Minister said.