Govt working groups may submit AI framework in two weeks

Amid the growing popularity of Artificial Intelligence, the seven working groups constituted under India’s National programme for Artificial Intelligence informed that they are likely to submit recommendations for a comprehensive framework governing Al in the next two weeks.

The central programme INDIAai tasked the seven working groups with the creation of a data governance framework for AI and to set up an India Data Management Office as well as looking into the regulatory aspects of Al. “The working groups have been constituted with representatives from industry and academia to fine tune the policy so that it’s made more realistic,” an official working with the INDIAai said.

The report made by the seven working groups will be combined into one and will be submitted to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity), the official disclosed.

Apart from establishing a regulatory framework the working groups also seek to bolster India’s push for AI by evaluating methods for capacity building, skilling and promoting startups in AI. Earlier this year in March, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Moneycontrol that India’s AI framework will have a clear set of do’s and don’ts that will enable innovation and at the same time, prevent user harm.

The minister has previously stated that the upcoming Digital India Bill will address issues related to artificial intelligence and algorithmic accountability.

AI also became an important point in Union Budget 2023 as finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting up of three Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in top educational institutions with an aim to help research and development of public-facing AI-based applications in agriculture, finance, health and other areas.

“Under the INDIAai plan, the IT ministry plans to establish Centres of Excellence, give exclusive access to Indian startups and Indian researchers to the datasets being collected by the government, and combine all of these to develop learning models to train AI for various public-centre projects,” the official working with INDIAai told the business daily. Moneycontrol