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'India Building Its Own Large Language Model': Key Highlights Of PM Modi's Speech At AI Action Summit In Paris
PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (11 February) stressed on the need for global cooperation in AI governance, innovation, and sustainability.
Addressing the AI Action Summit, which he co-chaired with French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, PM Modi called for responsible AI development, addressing biases, democratizing access, and ensuring AI’s role in public welfare.
Here are the key highlights of PM Modi's speech.
AI Bias and the Need for Responsible Governance
PM Modi opened his speech with a simple experiment illustrating AI bias.
"If you upload your medical report to an AI app, it can explain in simple language, free of any jargon, what it means for your health. But, if you ask the same app to draw an image of someone writing with their Left hand, the app will most likely draw someone writing with their Right hand. Because that is what the training data is dominated by," he said.
This, he noted, highlights the dual nature of AI—its immense potential alongside biases that must be carefully addressed.
He thanked President Macron for hosting the summit, emphasising the need for global discussions on AI governance.
"AI is already re-shaping our polity, our economy, our security and even our society. AI is writing the code for humanity in this century. But, it is very different from other technology milestones in human history," he said.
With AI developing at an "unprecedented scale and speed" and being deployed even faster, he called for collective global efforts to establish governance standards that uphold shared values, address risks, and build trust.
Balancing Innovation and Governance
PM Modi stressed that AI governance should not only focus on managing risks but also promote innovation for global good.
"Governance is not just about managing risks and rivalries. It is also about promoting innovation, and deploying it for the global good. So, we must think deeply and discuss openly about innovation and governance," he said.
He particularly stressed on the need to ensure AI access for all, especially in the Global South, where compute power, talent, data, and financial resources are scarce.
AI for Public Good and Sustainable Development
Highlighting AI’s potential to transform sectors like health, education, and agriculture, Modi called for a collaborative approach:
"To do this, we must pool together resources and talent. We must develop open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency. We must build quality data sets, free from biases. We must democratise technology and create people-centric applications. We must address concerns related to cyber security, disinformation, and deep fakes. And, we must also ensure that technology is rooted in local ecosystems for it to be effective and useful," he said.
Addressing Job Disruptions with Skilling and Reskilling
Acknowledging concerns over AI-led job losses, he pointed to historical trends showing that technology does not eliminate jobs but changes their nature.
Sustainable AI and India’s Global Leadership
PM Modi also raised concerns about AI’s high energy consumption, advocating for clean energy solutions.
"There is no doubt that the high energy intensity of AI needs to be looked into. This will require green power to fuel its future," he said.
He linked this to India's long-standing collaboration with France in sustainability, citing their work in the International Solar Alliance.
"As we advance our partnership to AI, it is a natural progression from sustainability to innovation to shape a smarter and responsible future," he said.
He also called for AI models to be efficient in size, data needs, and resource usage, remarking: "After all, the human brain manages to compose poetry and design space ships using less power than most lightbulbs."
India’s AI Strategy and Its Role in Global AI Development
PM Modi highlighted India's success in building a low-cost Digital Public Infrastructure for over 1.4 billion people and its leadership in AI adoption.
He referenced India's National AI Mission and its role in shaping global AI governance through the G20 presidency.
"India has successfully built a Digital Public Infrastructure for over 1.4 billion people at a very low cost. It is built around an open and accessible network. It has regulations, and a wide range of applications to modernize our economy, reform governance and transform the lives of our people," he said.
He also spoke about India’s AI capabilities:
"We have one of the world’s largest AI talent pools. India is building its own Large Language Model considering our diversity. We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like compute power. It is made available to our start-ups and researchers at an affordable cost. And, India is ready to share its experience and expertise to ensure that the AI future is for Good, and for All," the PM said.
A Call for Human-Centric AI Governance
Concluding his speech, PM Modi addressed concerns over AI surpassing human intelligence but asserted that humanity remains in control of its future.
"We are at the dawn of the AI age that will shape the course of humanity. Some people worry about machines becoming superior in intelligence to humans. But, no one holds the key to our collective future and shared destiny other than us humans," he said
He urged global leaders to act with responsibility in shaping AI’s future.
"That sense of responsibility must guide us," he said.
