Editorial 1: India’s voice must resonate in global AI conversations

Context

In a world where AI is increasingly at the centre of economic and geopolitical strategies, India must take an active role in shaping its future.

Introduction

In November 2024, a postgraduate student in Michigan, United States, had a disturbing interaction while discussing elderly care solutions with Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot, Gemini. After some hours of discussing problems of old age, the chatbot suddenly snapped, issuing a blunt and alarming message: “This is for you, human….You are a waste of time and resources….You are a stain on the universe. Please die.”

• AI risks and vulnerabilities: Did anyone realise AI could behave like that? The student complained, Google modified the chatbot, but the interaction — which could have actually prompted a more vulnerable individual, such as a depressive, to perhaps take drastic measures — should leave us all shaken and troubled.
• Need for AI regulation in India: There are hundreds of such anecdotes about AI whose implications we in India will need to grasp. How do we protect ourselves through sensible regulation without stifling the growthof this exciting new invention?
• AI’s global impact: AI is reshaping industries, economies, and geopolitics, transcending national borders with data, algorithms, and innovations flowing seamlessly across regions. In this interconnected landscape, effective governance and safety mechanisms require a unified international approach.
• India’s AI safety gap: For India, participating in global standard-setting on AI safety is not just an opportunity but an imperative. But, India has not even established a national AI safety institute.
• International Network of AI Safety Institutes: In November 2024, the International Network of AI Safety Institutes was inaugurated in San Francisco, U.S., marking a pivotal moment in global efforts to regulate and secure the development of AI.
• Seoul Statement of Intent: Building on the Seoul Statement of Intent agreed earlier that year, under which nations committed to work together to launch an international network of safety institutions to accelerate the advancement of the science of AI safety, this network represents a unified commitment to fostering international cooperation in AI safety science.
• Importance of global collaboration: By serving as a dedicated forum for international collaboration, the Network can unite technical expertise and policy innovation to address emerging risks and establish robust best practices in AI safety.
• India’s absence from global AI safety efforts: The Network will go beyond fostering dialogue to play a pivotal role in developing and harmonising global standards. India, so far, is sadly absent from this vital forum.

The borderless nature of AI

• AI’s global impact and seamless operation: AI transcends national borders, operating through the seamless flow of data, algorithms, and innovations across regions. Its global sweep means none of us is immune from its impact.
• Need for collective action: Collective action is indispensable to address shared challenges, from ethical concerns to security risks.
• Governance and standardization: Effective governance of this transformative technology requires a collaborative approach to establish unified standards that promote safety, accountability, and innovation.
• India’s AI adoption rate: India’s participation in global discussions is not just desirable but essential. As one of the world’s fastest adopters of AI, with an adoption rate of 30% (higher than the global average of 26%, according to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report), India stands at the forefront of AI-driven transformation across health care, finance, agriculture, and logistics.
• India’s ChatGPT user base: India holds a significant portion of ChatGPT users, ranking as the second-largest user base after the U.S., with around 10% of global ChatGPT users from India. A recent survey ranked India first in percentage of consumers using ChatGPT.
• Strategic importance of international AI safety standards:Joining and leading the discourse on international AI safety standards would offer India a dual advantage:
  1. Ensuring a secure, ethical, and globally competitive AI ecosystem in India.
  2. Positioning India as a responsible technology leader committed to safeguarding individual rights and advancing AI responsibly.
• Collaboration for strategic advantage: Collaborative efforts with other nations on a multilateral level will enable India to anticipate emerging threats, adapt to regulatory shifts, and maintain a competitive edge in the global AI race.
• Need for a national AI institution: To achieve this, India needs to create a national institution urgently and pitch it into the global AI safety framework.

The intersection of politics and technology

• AI and geopolitics: The intersection of AI and geopolitics is becoming ever more pronounced, as seen in recent proposals by the U.S. to impose export controls on advanced AI software.
• Impact of U.S. measures: Such measures, while rooted in American national security concerns about China, have the potential to reshape the global technology landscape, disrupting international scientific collaborations and altering the dynamics of innovation.
• India’s position in global AI policies: India is the “non-China” for now, but there is no guarantee it will be exempt from such controls indefinitely.
• Risk of collateral impact: Countries like India could face the collateral impact of policies targeting China, and we too could find our access to cutting-edge AI tools and technologies essential for advancing our own AI ecosystem, restricted.
• Need for proactive involvement: It is clear we cannot afford to remain a passive observer in this shifting landscape. These developments further underscore the urgency of participating in international platforms such as the International Network of AI Safety Institutes to advocate balanced frameworks that protect legitimate security interests while preserving the spirit of collaboration.
• Strategic importance of AI: AI’s strategic importance spans economic development, military applications, and cyber-security, all areas of national priority in which we must ensure our interests are protected.
• India’s AI growth strategy: For India, the path to maximising AI’s potential lies in creating opportunities for its startups to access global markets and drive AI-led growth.
• Aligning with global standards: By fostering innovation-friendly policies and aligning with international standards, India can position its AI ecosystem as a hub for cutting-edge solutions in all these sectors.
• India’s role in shaping AI safety frameworks: Proactive engagement in global AI safety initiatives will further enhance India’s ability to shape equitable frameworks that support global collaboration and transparency.
• Boosting investments and partnerships: These efforts will not only promote India’s technological leadershipbut also attract investments and partnerships, empowering Indian startups to thrive on the global stage while contributing meaningfully to the evolving AI landscape.
• AI and national security policies: India’s engagement is particularly vital in a world where AI and geopolitics intersect, with nations enacting protective policies to secure technological advantages.

Leveraging India’s strengths

• India’s AI potential: India’s vibrant AI ecosystem, fuelled by its robust IT sector and talent pool, makes it a critical player in the global AI dialogue.
• Success in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): India’s experience in navigating the complexities of DPI initiatives such as Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has demonstrated how inclusive, interoperable, and scalable systems can transform lives, enabling economic growth and social inclusion at unprecedented levels.
• India’s technological leadership: These successes of our “Tech Stack” highlight India’s ability to navigate the complexities of large-scale technological implementation while ensuring accessibility and equity.
• AI safety as an opportunity: Just as India’s DPI has established global benchmarks for digital innovation and inclusivity, its proactive engagement in AI safety initiatives can position the nation as a thought leader in shaping equitable and scalable frameworks for responsible AI development.
• Geopolitical significance of AI: In a world where AI is increasingly at the centre of economic and geopolitical strategies, India must take an active role in shaping its future.
• The necessity of global participation: As the adage goes, in global politics, you are either at the table, or on the menu.
• Ensuring India’s AI priorities: Participation in global AI safety platforms is not just about securing a seat at the table; it is about ensuring that global standards reflect India’s priorities, aspirations, and values.
• Positioning India as a leader in AI governance: By engaging proactively, India can protect its interests, foster cross-border innovation, and position itself as a global leader in AI governance.

Conclusion

The stakes are high, and the time to act is now. For India, embracing this responsibility is essential to navigating the opportunities and challenges of the AI revolution while ensuring a secure, inclusive, and prosperous future for all.

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Editorial 2: Technology and the challenge of equitable education

Context

India lacks a road map in the field of education that allows the promise of technology to be harnessed for those who need it the most.

Introduction

In India, the 1990s and the early 2000s were a time of education activities on a mass scale. But results from the nationwide Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) surveys of that period indicated that while enrolment and infrastructure indicators showed a rush to schools, learning indicators pointed to no change. At the same time, computers, mobile phones, and digital technology were making waves. It was a time of many possibilities and promises with digital solutions and businesses. However, it was when the COVID-19 pandemic struck that the digital revolution hit the ground in rural India. This is reflected very well in ASER data.

Smartphone use and rural households

• Rise in smartphone access: In 2018, nearly 90% of rural households had simple mobile phones, while 36% had smartphones. By 2022, smartphone ownership had risen to 74%, and ASER 2024 data shows this has further grown to 84%.
• Increase in smartphone ownership among children: The percentage of children aged 14-16 years who own a smartphone has increased from 19% to 31% within a year.
• Unclear data on mothers’ phone ownership: ASER data does not specify whether mothers of young childrenown smartphones, which is crucial for supporting early learning.
• Pandemic-driven digital learning: During the pandemic, smartphones were mainly used as carriers of texts, worksheets, and videos. Virtual training sessions also became common. Even after the pandemic, some digital skills remain, though new excitement now surrounds artificial intelligence (AI).
• Digital education for underprivileged mothers: Over 40% of mothers of schoolchildren have little or no schooling, while another 40% have only studied up to class 10. Educating mothers is a key investment that can accelerate children’s education.
• Technology’s unfulfilled promise in education: Despite waves of technological revolutions—from computers and the internet to mobile phones and AI—technology has not significantly improved education for the underprivileged.
• Device availability as a constraint: A major barrier in leveraging technology for education has been the lack of access to devices.
• Future outlook: ASER 2024 data suggests that smartphone availability is no longer a major constraint. As most rural households already have a smartphone, getting a second phone may become easier for many families in the near future.

No language barrier

• Hardware accessibility : Hardware, without a doubt, is becoming easily available.
• Language barriers removed : Language used to be a major impediment. It is not so any more. Writing or dictation in local languages is now possible. Translation from one language to another is easy.
• Learning tools : All the tools needed for learning are accessible, if you know what to access, where, and how.
• Intelligent learning device : One place in a village — let us call it school — where questions of what, where, and how are answered by an intelligent device.
• School access vs attendance :
  • Access to schools is complete.
  • School attendance is still a problem.
• Educational chaos in villages : Some children go to private schools, some to government schools, others to private classes, and some do not go to school at all.
  • This creates a chaotic situation at the village and larger community level, affecting the quality of learningin schools.
• Learning broadcasts during the pandemic : A learning programme was broadcast from a vantage point in many villages of Maharashtra.
  • A curriculum and broadcast schedule can be developed for group learning in villages.
  • Organising new schools in this manner should be possible, though initial participation may be low.
• Evolution of schooling systems : Every civilisation has created its own schooling system over the last 5,000 years.
  • Teachers, methods, and curricula varied across civilisations due to differences in time, space, culture, and technology.
• Integration of education through Science & Technology : The age of empires and colonialism integrated civilisations.
  • Today, science and technology integrate countries despite national boundaries.
  • Education is also an integrating factor.
• Education and profit motives : Every technological innovation, except those promoted as public goods, seeks a ‘for-profit market’.
  • Where profits cannot be made, innovations have limited use.

Conclusion

The prediction that hardware and devices would become inexpensive has come true but the need for a higher order and bigger hardware is growing with the innovations of AI. Will philanthropic investments be enough to help universalise the innovations that could revolutionise education? As a country, India needs to come up with a road map that allows the promise of technology to be harnessed for the benefit of those who need it the most.

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