What two billionaire brothers want from India's first AI research lab

Can India's seemingly insurmountable socioeconomic problems be tackled using artificial intelligence (AI)? The answer may lie somewhere in the future--but one Indian-American billionaire duo has decided to make a start. Last month, US-based philanthropist brothers Romesh Wadhwani (70) and Sunil Wadhwani (64) established India's first AI research institute in Mumbai, looking to deliver scaleable, tech-led solutions to the country's ills like inadequate healthcare and educational facilities by honing the AI ecosystem. Their institute, Wadhwani AI, was launched on Feb. 18 by prime minister Narendra Modi and is located in Mumbai University's Vidyanagari campus in Kalina. With over four decades of experience in the US, running various tech enterprises and philanthropic organisations, the Wadhwanis expect the institute to mirror the likes of San Francisco-based non-profit OpenAI and MIT's Allen Institute for AI.