Govt sets up expert group for suggestions on artificial intelligence policy

The Union ministry of electronics and information technology has set up an internal committee to advise the government on a policy on artificial intelligence (AI).

Top sources said that the expert committee will advise the IT ministry on the most apt technologies for India. The government’s main focus is to reduce cyber attacks with AI. The main policy will be drawn up once the committee gives its report.

Sources said that the committee is expected to give its report soon.

“Whenever the government has consulted with top tech companies, we have seen that their biggest involvement is with AI. We also want to take advantage of this technology and so a policy will be formed to ensure that it is properly leveraged,” said an official in the know of the matter.

Senior sources at the IT ministry pointed out that officials from Union home and finance ministries are also involved in the consultations.

AI is also widely seen as a major challenge in generation of employment as many companies are likely to depend more on it to cut down on human resources. A subject that has cropped up every time that IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has met top tech companies.

The artificial intelligence market is estimated to touch $153 billion in 2020 and expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 45.4% from 2016 to 2022.

The government has recently drawn up a seven-point strategy that would form the framework for India’s strategic plan to use AI.

The strategy includes developing methods for human machine interactions; ensuring safety and security of AI systems; creating a competent workforce in line with AI and R&D needs, understanding and addressing the ethical, legal and societal implications of AI, measuring and evaluating AI technologies through standards and benchmarks, among others.

“AI can benefit various government agencies in their functioning. But at the same time we have to ensure that an indigenous workforce to develop AI is created,” said another official.

Globally too, there is a growing interest in AI. In 2016, the White House initiated work on Preparing for the future of artificial intelligence; in the UK, the House of Commons committee on S&T looked at robotics and artificial intelligence while in 2017, the State Council of China started work on the next generation artificial intelligence development plan.