Ambition to grow AI, startup innovations as important as AI safety: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar emphasised that artificial intelligence safety is a crucial concern for India, but it should not be prioritised at the expense of fostering AI innovation and startup growth. 

Speaking at the AI Safety Summit 2023 in the UK, he stated that India's approach differs from many other nations, as it views the safety of AI in conjunction with its ambition to nurture the AI ecosystem and encourage startup innovations. The minister stressed that the goal is not to choose between safety and economic growth in the digital sector but to strike a balance between the two.

Chandrasekhar participated in the AI Safety Summit 2023, which featured 28 nations, including the US and China. He highlighted the need for a global collaborative effort to establish standards and methodologies for ensuring the safety and trustworthiness of AI models, rather than individual countries developing their regulations. He acknowledged that the global AI community faces uncertainty until a universal framework is established.

The minister disclosed that 28 countries have agreed to intensify their scrutiny of AI safety and trust. To address this, discussions will take place at the Global Partnership of Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) 2023 event scheduled for December 12-14, 2023, in India. Chandrasekhar emphasised that AI offers significant opportunities for India and the world and should not be excessively regulated, hindering innovation. Instead, the focus should be on determining safety and trust standards that are acceptable globally.

Chandrasekhar raised concerns about four categories of potential AI harms, including workforce disruption, privacy infringements, non-criminal harms, and the weaponisation and criminalisation of AI. He stressed that it is not sufficient for India to determine a safety model independently; it must create a model that is recognised and accepted worldwide.

Regarding the prospect of a global consensus on AI, particularly in the absence of international cybersecurity regulations, the minister noted that the past 15 years have seen insufficient innovation in regulation. He mentioned that countries are now keen to avoid repeating the same mistakes made in the cybersecurity realm, emphasising the need for a global framework to address AI-related challenges.

(With PTI Inputs)