The Hindu Editorial Analysis
10 February 2025
India’s opportunity at the AI Action Summit
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 7)
Topic : GS 3: Science and Technology
Context:
- Event: AI Action Summit in Paris, co-chaired by India.
- Dates: February 10-11, 2025.
- Significance: India can amplify the voice of the Global South in AI discussions.
Introduction:
- This summit follows previous meetings in the U.K. (2023) and South Korea (2024).
- Focus areas include AI safety, innovation, public interest AI, future of work, and governance.
- Opportunity for India to enhance global engagement on AI safety and promote Global South priorities.
Voice of the Global South:
- Past Meetings:
- Bletchley Park: Focused on frontier AI models and launched the U.K. AI Safety Institute.
- Seoul: Expanded discussions on multilateral AI risk management.
- India’s Engagement: Active participation with ministerial representation in AI safety discourse.
- Future Steps: Plans for establishing an AI Safety Institute in India.
- G20 Presidency (2023): Endorsed a pro-innovation regulatory approach for AI.
- GPAI Meeting (Dec 2023): Emphasized equitable access to AI research resources.
Priorities in Paris:
- Democratizing Access to AI:
- Advocate for equitable access to AI resources across the value chain.
- Expand beyond computing hardware to include data sets, storage, cloud platforms, and application development.
- Promote distributed computing solutions and open-source AI models.
- Encourage flexible cross-border AI technology transfer while ensuring safety standards.
2. Developing Frameworks:
- Call for a framework to identify AI use-cases relevant to the Global South.
- Ensure AI applications serve local needs (e.g., healthcare, education, agriculture).
- Establish an AI use-case repository post-summit to guide priorities.
3. Balancing Risks and Safety:
- Emphasize contextualizing AI risks for developing nations.
- Address unique challenges (e.g., cultural erosion from Western-trained models).
- Advocate for evidence collection on AI-related harms specific to the Global South.
- Create a repository of AI-related harms to inform future regulatory approaches.
Conclusion:
- India should leverage its co-chair position to advance Global South AI priorities.
- Successful advocacy could position India to host the next AI Action Summit, reinforcing its role as a bridge between AI superpowers and developing nations.