Opportunities are huge, but policies must ensure just and ethical applications of AI
By Amar Patnaik, MP Rajya Sabha
Opportunities are huge, but policies must ensure just and ethical applications of AI.
By Dr. Amar Patnaik, MP Rajya Sabha
According to the Global AI Vibrancy Tool, as released by Stanford University, India ranks sixth in the world for AI industry development and technology adoption. However, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in governance has been sluggish.
Some recent initiatives at the Centre and the state level are promising, though. For instance, the recent launch of the micro-learning website ‘AI for All’ with the aim of training 1 million Indians by prime minister Shri Narendra Modi, is a step in the direction towards creating an AI-driven economy.
At the state level, the Odisha government under the guidance of honorable chief minister Shri Naveen Patnaik has incorporated Artificial Intelligence in various aspects of governance to improve the speed and quality of public service delivery, particularly during the time of the current pandemic. To analyze vast and unstructured data sets in a time-bound manner, the Government of Odisha is now aiming to integrate AI with the financial auditing mechanism under the Directorate of Local Fund Audit (DLFA).
Tools created on AI algorithms and machine learning have been assisting doctors in saving time and therefore, lives in the ongoing pandemic. The Mumbai municipal authorities like many others employed the use of qXR for efficient COVID-19 related diagnosis and surveillance.
Yet, significant questions around adequate financial, technological, and infrastructural capacity of the Government to operationalize AI solutions in governance remain. Even more importantly, the will of the Government to unlock the full potential of good governance by suitably deploying AI in other areas of government such as land records management, utility service management, agriculture, and many such areas, remain weak.
The AI markets in India have started to evolve and the market has been valued at USD 7.8 billion as of 2020. Studies indicate that the amount of experimentation that goes into deploying successful AI projects is far greater as businesses often imagine the future to create new realities. Therefore, the need for amplified long-term investment in AI across sectors in India cannot be over-emphasized. Fortunately, the State of AI report by Deloitte indicates increased investments in artificial intelligence.
But India stills lags behind USA and China by almost a decade in investment in AI research. Poor infrastructure also severely impacts the progress of AI in the country and further exacerbates disparities. Though the number of internet users has increased manifold in India, internet penetration stood unsatisfactorily at only 45% in 2021.
For unlocking the true benefits of AI in law enforcement, education, disaster management, and even mitigating climate change, channels of communication must remain open between Government and the private sector. Much of the capacity building and receptiveness towards AI in India is coming from the private sector. Therefore, in pursuit of AI-driven solutions, it is necessary that the public and the private sector partner up, collaborate, and commit to solving the most complex problems faced by humanity and our country.
The pandemic has hastened the adoption of AI solutions in India and around the world, there is enhanced coordination over AI. Thus, existing laws must be revisited given the advancement and diverse applications of AI. New legal frameworks must be developed that involve broad stakeholders to allow responsible innovation. As we devise strategic and regulatory AI policies, its fair, just, transparent and ethical application also becomes critical especially in the public sector. The Government must not shy away from its Constitutional obligations and ensure AI in governance doesn’t violate the enshrined fundamental rights. Concerns over the use of AI technology that enables bias profiling, discrimination, and surveillance are valid as AI algorithms can be incomplete, inaccurate, impartial with outputs being falsely interpreted. Therefore, a liability regime that holds these developers to account must be created along with procedures for algorithmic impact assessment. Moreover, the all-pervasive nature of AI technology is dangerous especially when a law for data protection remains absent in the country. Robust user privacy protection frameworks that operate on privacy by design are necessary. Since AI in India is still in its nascent stages, the full potential of its future use is still not known; but safe AI solutions can definitely lead to massive business opportunities and sustainable development that is equitable.
About the Author
Dr. Amar Patnaik is a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from Odisha representing the Biju Janata Dal. Before joining the Upper House, Dr. Patnaik had a long career in Civil Services. Dr. Patnaik is an MBA, Ph.D. with Masters programs from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. He was a member of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) looking into the draft legislation on data protection.