New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said most countries are now coming out and saying what India has always been saying on regulating Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies. India’s stance has been that the internet and every other emerging technology should be deployed in a “safe and trusted” manner.
The Union minister today met Viscount Camrose, UK’s Minister of AI and Intellectual Property and Hiroshi Yoshida, Japan’s Vice Minister of Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
After the meeting, Minister Rajeev said they spoke about what governments are looking, how governments of like-minded countries are looking at regulating AI, what are the issues of safety and trust that governments are looking at, and what are the governments’ role in enabling the growth of AI. “So think it was a very interesting conversation. And what India has been saying for now several months and years about making sure that the Internet and indeed every emerging technology is deployed in a safe and trusted manner is a thought that most countries are now coming around to and agreeing with,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters.
Meanwhile, Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence summit, running from December 12 to 14, is being hosted here in the national capital, where influential minds from various sectors have gathered to discuss and collaborative the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).
Since its inception in June 2020, India has made significant contributions to this Summit by actively engaging in various initiatives to foster the development, deployment, and adoption of open, safe, secure, and accountable AI. The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is an international initiative established to guide the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence in a manner that respects human rights and the shared democratic values of its members.
Ahead of the summit, PM Modi asserted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was one area where its applications were expanding at an exponential rate. “This revolutionary technology is now in the hands of a new generation – young, brilliant minds who are swiftly enriching its vast potential. India, as one of the youngest nations with a vibrant start-up ecosystem and a talented workforce, is poised to be an active contributor to the evolution of AI as the world leaps into a not-so-distant future” the PM had said in his LinkedIn post.
“In the last 9-10 years, India and its citizens have leap-frogged with the help of technology. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that India achieved, in a matter of few years, what took other countries a generation. This was possible through the fast-paced penetration of mobiles along with internet connectivity and scalable models for digital inclusion” the PM further wrote.
Later speaking at the summit on Wednesday, PM Modi raised concerns over deep fake and other cons of artificial intelligence. PM Modi said that the deep fake challenge is for the entire world as it could be used to create ‘deepfakes’ to purposefully spread false information or have malicious intent behind their use. If AI enables arms to reach the hands of terror groups, then it could have a devastating effect, and the world needs to think about it, the Prime Minister said. (ANI)
“The dynamics are very positive”: Swiss Secretary on FTA with India
New Delhi [India], December 14 (ANI): The dynamics of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is very positive, with both sides in a position where they weren’t closer before, Switzerland State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Helene Budliger Artieda said on Wednesday. She also praised the role of India as an emerging market as well as a Democracy and affirmed that New Delhi can be the “Lighthouse of Democracy” amid a series of conflicts across the globe.
Speaking to ANI, Artieda said, “The negotiations are ongoing…you never talk about ongoing negotiations. What I can just tell you is that I feel that the dynamics are very positive. It’s been ongoing for 15 years and I think we’re now in the position where the five countries are really motivated to dedicate time and resources”. “In the end…the ink needs to dry underneath the document and then we can say we’ve achieved it and until then it’s an ongoing negotiation. But I think we’ve never been closer during these 15 years,” she added. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organisation of four countries — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — that aims to promote free trade and economic integration
The Swiss Secretary added that the two countries are focussing on making sure that it’s a balanced and fair agreement and the sensitivities of all countries are respected in the negotiations. On being asked if there is a deadline towards finalising this FTA, Artieda said, “No, there is no deadline because of these negotiations. I think maybe the greater audience has difficulty grasping how technical they are. You look at different chapters and some of them…so these are not linear conversations where you say let’s start at A and then we go B, C, D. This is really, truly a complex negotiation,” she further said.
She also praised the potential of Indian markets, stating that it is going to be the next big thing in terms of market, innovation and research and development (R&D), adding that around 300 Swiss companies are currently operating in generating around 2,00,000 well-paid jobs.
Speaking on India-Switzerland ties, she stated that both countries share 75 years-old friendship and New Delhi can very well be the “Lighthouse of Democracy” amid a series of global conflicts. “India and Switzerland actually unites a friendship for 75 years. We were among the first to sign a friendship agreement with India…I would underline that for us friendship actually also has great value. And I say I feel very honoured because I get that same sense of friendship and respect from Minister Piyush Goyal,” Artieda said.
She added, “We are seeing conflicts everywhere on the increase. We are seeing that less than 50 per cent of people actually live in non-democratic countries and I think India absolutely has what it takes to be that lighthouse for democracy”. (ANI)
