In our prior series of papers for Brookings, we explored the rise of national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy documents and sought to make sense of what each country was trying to do and how effectively they were doing it. In our concluding paper, we focused on where the U.S. was lagging behind and proposed options to remedy the lagging. In particular, we recommended three options: 1) apply lessons from the U.S. space race to invigorate talent development, (2) adopt a multi-national consortium approach (similar to NATO) and (3) create a robust partnership with one other country. Following the guidance of "Deep Throat" of Watergate fame, in this new series of articles, we follow the federal trail of money to understand the federal market for AI work, the hardware, software, and services being purchased. We also track the key players who allocate the money (legislators), spend the money (program managers), and receive the money (vendors). Taken together, this series provides a comprehensive look at federal IT spending, its direction, and its key players.

India's artificial intelligence spending is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30.8% to touch $880.5 million (around Rs 6,490.6 crore) in 2023, research firm IDC said on Wednesday. "Enterprises are relying on AI to maintain business continuity, transform how businesses operate and gain competitive advantage. India's AI spending will grow from $300.7 million in 2019 to $880.5 million in 2023 at a CAGR of 30.8%," as per IDC's Worldwide Artificial Intelligence Spending Guide Forecast. Rishu Sharma, Principal Analyst at IDC in India, said Covid-19 is pushing the boundaries of organisations' AI lens. "Businesses are considering investments in intelligent solutions to tackle issues associated with business continuity, labor shortage, and workspace monitoring. Organisations are now realising that their business plans must be closely aligned with their AI strategies," Sharma added.

India's Artificial Intelligence spending will grow from $300.7 million in 2019 to $880.5 million in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.8 per cent, said an International Data Corporation (IDC) report on Wednesday. As per IDC's 2020 COVID-19 Impact Survey, half of India enterprises plan to increase their AI spending this year. However, data trustworthiness and difficulty in selecting the right algorithm, are some of the top challenges that hold organisations back from implementing AI technology, according to the new report titled "India Artificial Intelligence Market, 2020." The report also explores the businesses' approach across the core AI pillars including, strategy, culture, data, skills, and ethics. "COVID-19 is pushing the boundaries of organisations' AI lens. Businesses are considering investments in intelligent solutions to tackle issues associated with business continuity, labour shortage, and workspace monitoring," said Rishu Sharma, Principal Analyst, Cloud and AI at IDC in India.

IDC predicted that worldwide spending on artificial intelligence and cognitive computing technologies will leap by 60 percent to $12.5 billion this year -- and then escalate to $46 billion by 2020. The IT consultancy's estimates span several vertical industries, healthcare included, and suggest that businesses and consumers will spend the most on cognitive applications, AI platforms, cognitive-related services, as well as dedicated storage and servers, respectively. IDC distinguishes between cognitive applications and platforms as such: apps contain features and functionalities capable of learning and discovery to ultimately make recommendations, while platforms provide tools for accessing and analyzing both structured and unstructured data. "Intelligent applications based on cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, and deep learning are the next wave of technology transforming how consumers and enterprises work, learn, and play," IDC research director David Schubmehl said. Healthcare IT News and HIMSS Analytics published survey results just last week that found approximately one-third of hospitals intend to deploy AI technologies within two years and more than half plan to do so within five years.