Earlier this year, a panel of experts recommended the creation of a computing infrastructure equipped with 24,500 graphics processing units (GPUs) across 17 centers by the Indian government to foster innovation in artificial intelligence (AI). The Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Summit, chaired by India, commenced recently, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the potential risks associated with AI and emphasizing the necessity for regulatory frameworks governing AI technology. The shortage of computing power due to a GPU scarcity was a key point of discussion during the summit.
Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the transformative potential of AI but cautioned about the risks, stating, “AI has the potential to shape the 21st century.” He advocated for a global consensus on AI policies, referring to discussions held during the G20 Summit in September. He emphasized the need for a global framework for testing and deploying high-risk AI tools and called for conviction, commitment, coordination, and collaboration to achieve this.
The summit also underscored the importance of nurturing tech talent in India in the era of AI. Vijay Shekar Sharma, the founder of Paytm, a fintech platform, highlighted the need for India-centric AI development, emphasizing the use of citizen or historical data points. Sharma pointed out that unlike previous technological phenomena such as search engines or social media, AI requires a different approach tailored to India’s context.
International entities like OpenAI have shown interest in India’s tech talent. Anna Makanju, Vice President of Global Affairs at OpenAI, announced plans for a developer event in Bengaluru in January, with the aim of addressing complex safety challenges in AI development. Makanju expressed excitement about convening developers in India alongside OpenAI’s product leaders.
Addressing one of the significant challenges in AI development—the bottleneck in the GPU supply chain—Prime Minister Modi revealed that the government is actively working to address this issue. He announced the launch of an AI mission to enhance compute power in India, benefiting startups and innovators across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education.
Earlier this year, a panel of experts recommended the establishment of computing infrastructure equipped with 24,500 GPUs at 17 centers to facilitate AI innovation. Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to launching an AI mission aligns with the government’s efforts to alleviate the GPU supply chain bottleneck and promote advancements in AI within the country.
The GPAI Summit, with representatives from 28 member countries and the European Union, serves as a platform for collaborative discussions and initiatives in the field of AI. The discussions at the summit reflect the global recognition of the transformative potential of AI and the shared responsibility in addressing challenges and ensuring ethical and beneficial AI development.
