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ON AI, THE BIG LEAP INDIA NEEDS

Why in the news?

• The era of incremental progress in AI is over — a new phase of rapid innovation and disruption has begun.
• Nations are now aggressively competing to dominate the global AI ecosystem, turning AI into a key battleground for technological and geopolitical supremacy.
• The past six weeks have upended conventional beliefs about AI leadership, highlighting how quickly the landscape is evolving.
• Countries and companies that fail to adapt to these shifts risk falling behind in the global AI race.
• For India, being a mere participant is no longer enough — the need to lead and shape the future of AI has become critical.

DeepSeek’s Disruption – A Wake-Up Call

• January witnessed the emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese start-up that unveiled its AI model DeepSeek-R1.
• DeepSeek-R1 matched the capabilities of leading models like OpenAI’s GPT-4, while being open source and free.
• This breakthrough highlighted a significant shift in the global AI power balance.
• It demonstrated that true innovation depends not just on resources, but on speed, efficiency, and strategic intent.

AI Action Summit – Defining Global AI Strategies

• Held in Paris, the AI Action Summit brought together leaders from nearly 100 nations.
• Key message: Economic growth should take precedence over excessive regulation.
• A defining announcement came from France, unveiling a €109 billion AI investment plan.
• Emphasis on substantial investments to maintain global competitiveness.

Europe’s Regulatory Shift

In a landmark policy shift, President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka committed to:

• Scaling back AI regulations across Europe.
• Ensuring Europe can keep pace with global AI advancements.

India’s Human-Centric AI Vision

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocated for a human-centric AI approach.
• India’s vision for AI gained global recognition and traction at the summit.
• Focus areas: Inclusive and sustainable AI development.

Global AI Commitments and Future Outlook

• Summit leaders pledged to ensure AI promotes labour market growth.
• AI strategies will align with environmental sustainability and social well-being.
• As nations accelerate AI innovation and economic expansion, controlling the AI supply chain becomes critical.
• Dominating the AI supply chain is no longer just an advantage — it defines who shapes the future global order.

DeepSeek’s Success – A Wake-Up Call and Inspiration

• DeepSeek’s rise highlights both a challenge for established players and an opportunity for emerging AI challengers.
• Kai-Fu Lee, former President of Google China, summarized the shift:
  • “The US excels in research, innovation, and breakthroughs.”
  • “China excels in engineering and building efficient solutions with limited compute power and funding.”

Engineering Excellence – A Critical Advantage

• Engineering efficiency combined with R&D excellence is becoming essential for AI leadership.
• Chinese AI companies, facing export controls, shifted focus to:
  • Optimising model architecture.
  • Achieving breakthroughs in cost-effective AI development.

Key Technological Innovations from China

• Pure Reinforcement Learning: Enables AI models to refine themselves through self-play and real-world feedback.
• Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) Architecture: Activates only a fraction of parameters per task, reducing computational costs and enhancing efficiency:
• Multi-Head Latent Attention: Improves data processing by identifying nuanced relationships and managing multiple input types simultaneously.
• Distillation Techniques: Efficiently transfers knowledge from large models to smaller, more adaptable ones.

Breaking Free from Proprietary Ecosystems

China’s shift from NVIDIA’s proprietary CUDA to PTX is:

• More than a workaround — it’s a strategic masterstroke.
• Ensures resilience, adaptability, and independence from external technology restrictions.

The New Rules of AI Dominance

• These innovations demonstrate that necessity drives innovation.
• The future leaders in AI will be those who master both:
  • Breakthrough research.
  • Cost-effective, scalable engineering.

Biden’s Final AI Directives – Securing US Leadership

In his final days in office, former US President Joe Biden issued two critical directives to strengthen US AI leadership:

• January 13: Introduction of an Interim Final Rule regulating GPU exports, aimed at: Restricting the transfer of advanced AI-enabling technologies to adversaries; Streamlining exports to trusted allies.
• January 14: Signing of an executive order prioritising clean energy development for AI data centers, instructing federal agencies to: Lease land for infrastructure projects powered by low- or zero-carbon energy sources.

Policy Continuity Despite Political Shifts

• President Donald Trump, after assuming office, swiftly revoked Biden’s AI safety order.
• However, these two key directives — on GPUs and clean energy for AI — remain intact (for now).
• Vice President Vance has since:
  • Reaffirmed the US’s intent to dominate the global AI landscape.
  • Highlighted a strategic focus on leadership in chips, software, and regulatory influence.

The Global AI Race – A Battle for Control

• The AI race has reached a critical breaking point.
• Nations are no longer simply competing on innovation — they are battling for control over AI infrastructure and ecosystems.
• The leaders will shape the future.
• Those who fall behind risk dependency, vulnerability, and marginalisation in the emerging global AI order.

The New Global AI Paradigm – Disruption Over Progress

• AI development has entered a new era of intensified competition and accelerated advancements.
• The global AI race is no longer just about technological progress.
• It’s about who drives the disruption and who gets left behind.
• The world is splitting into two camps: Disruptors & Disruptees.
• The defining question for every nation: Which side will you be on?

India at a Crossroads – Viksit Bharat 2047

• India stands at a decisive juncture in its journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047 — the vision to become a developed nation by 2047.
• This goal is more than just ambition — it is a defining national mission.
• Achieving this requires fundamental economic and societal transformation.
• Success hinges on harnessing emerging technologies like AI to drive this transformation.

Beyond Incremental Progress – Embracing AI Disruption

• The era of gradual, incremental progress is over.
• To realise Viksit Bharat 2047, India cannot simply participate in the AI revolution.
• India must lead the disruption, shaping the future of AI innovation.

India’s Three Non-Negotiable Imperatives for AI Leadership

World-Class Talent

• Develop globally competitive AI talent.
• Cultivate a deep pool of researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs driving AI excellence.

Cutting-Edge R&D and Innovation

• Ensure India is not just a consumer of AI technologies, but a creator of breakthrough innovations.
• Invest in foundational research, indigenous AI models, and strategic technological advancements.

Human-Centric AI

• Prioritise AI that serves society, enhances social well-being, and supports sustainable development.
• Use AI innovation to strengthen India’s global standing as a responsible technology leader.

The Hallmark of India’s AI Leadership

• India’s AI strategy must be: Bold, Visionary, & Unapologetically ambitious.
• As Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated at the AI Action Summit: “As AI writes the code for humanity, we humans must hold the key to shaping its future responsibly.”

Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/on-ai-the-big-leap-india-needs-9862103/

Mains question:

“Discuss the role of artificial intelligence in shaping global power dynamics. How can India leverage AI innovation to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047? Illustrate with examples.”