Government to set up centres for transformational artificial intelligence

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday said it will set up centres for transformational artificial intelligence (AI) that will collaborate with academia and industry to develop AI-based solutions. Addressing a virtual'AI India Conclave', organised by FICCIi jointly with MeitY, Abhishek Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Digital India Corporation (DIC), President and CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and, CEO, MyGov, MeitY, said that AI skilling and reskilling and its role in employment generation is important and highlighted the various initiatives launched by the government pertaining to AI. "To foster a robust AI ecosystem in India, the government's role is to enable a data governance mechanism via open data portals, with adequate safeguards for privacy to enable innovation by researchers and entrepreneurs to build upon and create products for better services," he said. A lot of AI research is being done in all academic institutions, but still the country lags far behind China and the US when it comes to AI research, he said, adding that'there are certain initiatives that have been taken but we need to go further'. Singh said the Department of Science and Technology too has set up Technology Innovation Hubs under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems. "But under the national programme on AI what is being thought of is that the India centres for transformational AI will be set up. These centres will be set up in partnership with the industry and academia. The solution which is developed from the exercise will be assessed for scaling up across the country," Singh added.