On the first day of the ‘AI Safety Summit 2023’ at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire in United Kingdom (UK), Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, addressed the inaugural plenary session. He emphasized India’s perspective on Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing our nation’s commitment to AI with a strong focus on safety, trust, and accountability.

“We have maintained that international collaborations, such as these, are extremely important, as we move forward in shaping the future of technology in an era where it is presenting some of the most exciting opportunities ever for mankind. Our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has argued for several years that the future of technology, whether it involves innovation, partnerships, or the institutional framework for regulating technology and innovation for the benefit of all mankind, should be driven by a coalition of nations rather than just one or two countries. He believes that the institutional framework should be less episodic and much more sustained with strategic clarity,” the Minister said.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar apprised his international counterparts that India has effectively embraced technology under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, propelling the nation into a thriving digital economy, transforming the lives of its citizens. He emphasized that this transformation has ushered in tremendous opportunities, and will continue to do so through AI.

“Artificial Intelligence, as we see it, is a kinetic enabler of India’s already accelerating and expanding digital economy, growth and Governance. AI represents big opportunities for us, and we have our minds clear of what needs to be done to mitigate any potential downsides associated with AI or any emerging technology. We approach AI with a prism on openness, safety, trust, and accountability. As a government, we have learned that by allowing innovation to get ahead of regulation, we open ourselves to the toxicity and misinformation represented by social media on the internet today. It is clear that this is not the path we should chart for the coming years in terms of AI. AI should be utilized only for the good, only for the progress, and prosperity of all our citizens across all countries,” the Minister further added.

The ‘AI Safety Summit 2023’ has assembled representatives from around the world, including governments, prominent AI corporations, civil society organizations, and research experts. Its objectives are deliberating the risks associated with AI, particularly at the cutting edge of its development and exploring strategies for their mitigation through globally coordinated efforts.

This two-day summit has brought together Ministers and representatives from various countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, South Korea, among others.

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DK/DK/SMP