Initiatives in the Field of AI- A Road to Transition!
1. About GPAI
A multi-stakeholder and international initiative proposed by France and Canada in 2019, ‘Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)’ is a platform for responsible use and development of Artificial Intelligence.
Based on human rights, diversity, economic growth and innovation, GPAI seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge of AI and its application. This global initiative was founded to figure out the challenges and leveraging the opportunities revolving around AI through the experience of various countries.
This initiative is being supported by a secretariat, hosted by OECD (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development), an international organisation comprising of 37 nations with an aim to form policies for better lives across the globe.
2. India to become the ‘Founding Member’ of GPAI
India joined the organisation on 15 June 2020 as a founding member along with other powerful nations like USA, UK, Australia, Italy, Japan and many more.
Through this, India will be able to participate diligently in the global development of AI across various domains and will also get a chance to learn about different ways and policies to leverage it and implement it in India along with other significant initiatives.
3. Various initiatives by the Indian Government in the field of AI
There have been a lot of AI-related developments in India like National AI Portal, National AI strategy by Niti Aayog, Responsible AI for the youth programme, etc.
National AI Portal, www.ai.gov.in was launched on 30 May 2020 by Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad. This portal contains information on all AI-related developments in India. It gives a detailed description of efficient use of AI across various sectors like agriculture, health care, finance and education, in the form of articles, research papers and case studies. Details about newly established start-ups, which are making excellent use of AI, are also readily available at this portal. A vast set of information is available about global AI developments as well. It even notifies about various job vacancies and skill development courses related to it. In short, each and every detail where AI is being used is boldly highlighted at the portal.
National AI Strategy by Niti Aayog is termed as ‘#AIforall’. Five core sectors have been decided by Niti Aayog for application of AI. These are health care, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure and smart mobility and transport. Due to the dearth of skilled people and lack of awareness among masses, Responsible AI for Youth Programme was launched by the ministry.
Responsible AI for Youth Programme is a skill-building initiative designed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT. The main aim of the programme is to reduce the skill gap and empower youth to develop the apt skill set so as to make them ‘AI Ready’ for the future. This initiative was open for Government School students across India to provide them with an opportunity to be part of the skilled workforce.
4. Artificial Intelligence- A boon!
Artificial Intelligence is an important technology as it enables human cognitive skills like thinking, reading, learning, planning, communication etc being performed by machines virtually, more efficiently in a cost-effective manner. It is used primarily to automate the routine work of people more quickly with low cost. It is a path which will help lead the nation to the doorstep of a developed economy. It is serving as an early bird step towards a bright technologically driven world!
These days, AI is doing wonders in various fields!
In the education field, demand for e-learning rose suddenly due to an outbreak of the pandemic. AI, to some extent eradicated the need for classroom teaching and provided a virtual platform to students for the better learning experience. Indian Government’s ‘E-Vidya’ programme stimulated online learning across the country.
In the agricultural field, AI is helping farmers understanding weather conditions, monitoring soil quality, reducing the use of pesticides by enabling them to detect the weed attacked area. AI agriculture blots are helping farmers to identify ways to save their crops and enabling them to harvest crops at a faster pace than too without much manual work.
In almost every field, there is AI being used for its efficiency. Even the construction sector is becoming digitalised! Natural resources like coal are planned to be traded online at a portal.
All such developments and advances make us realise that AI is a boon!