India’s opportunity at the AI Action Summit

Syllabus:

GS 3: Emerging technologies

Why in the News?

India will co-chair the AI Action Summit in Paris, highlighting its role in advocating for AI innovation, safety, and equitable access for the Global South.

India’s opportunity at the AI Action Summit

Introduction

  • India’s participation as co-chair at the upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris underscores its growing influence in global AI discussions.
  • This summit provides India an opportunity to champion equitable AI innovation, address unique challenges of the Global South, and solidify its position as a bridge between AI superpowers and developing nations.

India’s Leadership Role in AI Summits

  • India is set to co-chair the AI Action Summit in Paris on February 10-11, 2025, hosted by France.
  • This is the third in the series of global AI summits, following those in the U.K. (2023) and South Korea (2024).
  • The agenda includes AI safety, innovation, AI for public interest, governance issues, and the future of work.
  • For India, this summit is a critical platform to amplify the concerns of the Global South while also furthering its engagement in global AI safety discussions.

India’s Establishment of AI Safety Institute

  • India is setting up an AI Safety Institute, aligning with the global trend of strengthening AI risk management frameworks, as seen in the K. with the launch of the AI Safety Institute (AISI).
  • With active participation in the global AI dialogue, India has ensured ministerial and high-level bureaucratic representation in these summits.

Championing the Global South’s AI Needs

  • Under India’s presidency at the G20 in 2023, a “pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach” was endorsed to balance AI development with necessary safeguards.
  • India hosted the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) meeting in December 2023, emphasizing equitable access to critical AI resources for developing nations.

Key Priorities for the Paris AI Summit

Expanding Access Beyond Hardware

  • India should advocate for equitable access to all elements of the AI ecosystem, including:
  • Computing infrastructure like GPUs and cloud platforms.
  • Large datasets that are essential for AI training.
  • Open-source development platforms and foundation models.

India’s Domestic Initiatives

  • India has taken a proactive step by establishing a common computing facility with over 18,600 GPUs, supported by a 40% government subsidy.
  • This sets an example for other nations in the Global South to create shared resources to advance AI capabilities.

Promotion of Distributed Computing

  • Distributed computing offers an alternative to traditional infrastructure by decentralizing computational processes, making it more accessible.
  • India should advocate for distributed computing solutions as a way to empower developing countries to bypass conventional resource constraints.

Role of Open-Source AI Models

  • Open-source models, such as those developed by DeepSeek, highlight the transformative potential of collaborative AI development.
  • India must push for relaxed export controls and cross-border transfer mechanisms to facilitate global access to AI technologies.

Innovative Safety Tools

  • India should champion the use of tools like watermarking technology, which can help ensure safe and ethical use of AI while maintaining innovation.

Identifying and Prioritising AI Use-Cases for the Global South

Framework for Relevant Use-Cases

  • A framework is needed to identify and prioritise AI applications that address the unique needs and challenges of the Global South.
  • This ensures that AI is not merely a solution in search of problems but a tool for real-world issues.

Examples of Localised AI Applications

  • Healthcare: AI systems for early disease detection must align with the existing healthcare infrastructure of developing nations.
  • Education: Personalised learning platforms should cater to the diverse educational needs and contexts across the Global South.
  • Agriculture: AI-driven tools must enhance productivity while addressing the specific challenges of regional farming practices.

Establishing a Global Repository

  • India should propose the creation of a global repository of AI use-cases after the Paris summit.
  • This repository could guide the Global South in identifying priority areas for AI application and innovation.

Unique Challenges in the Global South

  • Developing nations face distinct challenges that differ significantly from those in the Global North.
  • One major risk is cultural erosion caused by exposure to large language models primarily trained on western data, which may not reflect local values or contexts.

Evidence-Based Risk Assessment

  • India must call for collecting evidence of AI-related harms in the Global South.
  • By grounding risk assessments in real-world data, mitigation strategies can be better tailored to the needs of developing nations.

Yoshua Benjio-Led Report

  • International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI emphasizes that risk assessment must consider both the probability of harm and the severity of its consequences.
  • India should align with these findings to advocate for future-looking yet grounded approaches to AI risk management.

Harm Repository for Regulatory Guidance

  • A database of AI-related harms could provide valuable insights for shaping regulatory measures in the Global South.
  • This repository would help nations design culturally sensitive and context-specific AI regulations.

Strategic Implications for India

  • Enhancing Global South Representation: By championing the priorities of developing nations, India reinforces its leadership role in international AI governance discussions.
  • Positioning India for Future Summits: A strong performance as co-chair in Paris could make India a frontrunner to host the next AI Action Summit.
  • Hosting the summit would enable India to maintain a sustained focus on the Global South’s perspective in global AI dialogues.
  • Bridging the AI Divide: India’s ability to act as a bridge between AI superpowers in the Global North and developing nations in the Global South underscores its growing influence in the AI sphere.
  • This role aligns with India’s broader vision of fostering inclusive global development.

Conclusion

India’s participation in the Paris AI Summit enables it to address Global South challenges, promote equitable AI access, and strengthen its leadership in ethical, inclusive, and globally collaborative AI governance.

Source: The hindu

Mains Practice Question:

Discuss the significance of India’s role in shaping the global AI governance landscape, particularly in addressing the unique challenges and priorities of the Global South.