iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023 kicked off at the Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday, December 12. The summit will spotlight the progress and innovation in AI in the presence of government delegations from 29 GPAI member countries that are participating in the Summit along with GPAI’s multi-stakeholder Experts’ Group, Global AI Experts, multilateral organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. GPAI brings together experts from science, industry, civil society, governments, international organizations, and academia to foster international cooperation.
At the inaugural function of the summit, the government of India announced that it will soon be initiating a National Program on Artificial Intelligence, and AI Mission which aims to establish the computing powers of AI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the inaugural function that these initiatives will provide better services to startups and innovators in India and also promote AI applications in the sectors of agriculture, healthcare, and education. He also said that AI-related skills will be taken to tier 2 and 3 cities in India via educational training institutes. Speaking about India’s national AI portal that promotes AI initiatives, Modi mentioned the AIRAWAT initiative and informed that the common platform will soon be open for every research lab, industry, and startup.
As one of the founding members of GPAI in 2020, the current incoming Support Chair of GPAI, and the Lead Chair for GPAI in 2024, India is hosting the Annual GPAI Summit from December 12 – 14, 2023 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The event organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was inaugurated on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.
Established in June 2020, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), is an international and diverse body. It unites prominent experts from fields including science, industry, civil society, international organizations, and national governments who share a common commitment. GPAI endeavors to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and practical implementation of AI by endorsing cutting-edge research and applied endeavors in AI-related priorities.
The structure of GPAI comprises a GPAI Council, Steering Committee, Multistakeholder expert group, GPAI Working Group, GPAI Secretariat, and GPAI Expert Support Centers. All its activities are intended to foster the responsible development of AI grounded in these principles of human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.
GPAI believes in the principles for responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI and it invests in AI research and development, fosters a digital ecosystem for AI, shapes an enabling policy environment for AI, builds human capacity and prepares for labor market transformation, and ensures international cooperation for trustworthy AI.
The GPAI Summit hosted by India includes multiple side events to provide the host country a chance to showcase their domestic AI achievements and hold dialogues on pertinent issues in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Multiple sessions on diverse topics including AI & global health, education, and skilling, AI and data governance, and ML Workshop, will be organized during the summit. The summit also includes a Research Symposium, the AI Gamechangers Award, and the India AI Expo.
The summit will witness the participation of 50+ GPAI experts and 150+ speakers from across the countries. Top AI Gamechangers from across the world will be participating in different events including Intel, Reliance Jio, Google, Meta, AWS, Yotta, Netweb, Paytm, Microsoft, Mastercard, NIC, STPI, Immerse, Jio Haptik, and Bhashini. Students who are winners under the YUVA AI initiative and start-ups will also showcase their AI models and solutions.
“With a laser focus on healthcare, priority sectors, and responsible AI, the morning sessions showcased the insights of over 25 speakers hailing from diverse countries and fields. In this intellectual tapestry, multiple parallel sessions addressed a myriad of pressing topics, setting the stage for a summit of unprecedented significance,” read a statement from the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
“In India, we are witnessing an AI innovation spirit. Indian government’s policies and programs are guided by ‘AI for all’. There is no doubt that AI is transformative but it is up to us to make it more transparent. Trust in AI will grow only when related ethical, economic, and social aspects are addressed. We have to work together to prepare a global framework for the ethical use of AI. “Over the next two days, you will delve into various aspects of AI. I hope that the outcomes, when implemented, will pave the way for building a responsible and sustainable future”, Modi said.
He also took a walk-through of the Global AI Expo. GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative where the 29 member countries aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
Referring to the exhibits in the AI exhibition at the Summit, Modi said that the youth are trying to bring social change through technology. Modi spoke about the recently launched AI agriculture chatbot which will help farmers and also stressed the use of AI in the fields of healthcare and Sustainable Development Goals.
Underlining the negative aspects of AI, Modi said that even though it has the potential to become the strongest tool for development in the 21st century, it can also play a pivotal role in its destruction. Pointing out the challenges of deepfake, cyber security, data theft, and terrorist organizations getting their hands on AI tools, Modi stressed the need for countermeasures. “We have to complete the global framework within a given time limit. It is very important to do this to protect humanity,” he added.
