Why in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

The week-long summit (which began with the Science Days on February 6-7) concluded with a High-Level Segment featuring global leaders, policymakers, and industry experts.

What’s in today’s article?

• AI Action Summit
• Key Takeaways from the AI Action Summit
• PM Modi’s Address at the AI Action Summit: Key Highlights

AI Action Summit

• The AI Action Summit is a high-profile international event focused on advancing discussions and collaborations in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Hosted by France, the summit was co-chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
• It brought together global leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and researchers to explore the transformative potential of AI in various sectors.
• Themes of AI Action Summit
  • The summit will focus on five main areas:
    • Public Interest AI
    • Future of Work
    • Innovation and Culture
    • Trust in AI
    • Global AI Governance

Key Takeaways from the AI Action Summit

• AI Declaration
  • The US and UK refused to sign the summit’s declaration on “inclusive and sustainable” AI, citing concerns over excessive regulation.
  • 60 nations, including India and China, supported the declaration, which promotes AI accessibility, sustainability, human rights, and transparency.
• Key objectives of the declaration
• Accessibility of AI: Ensuring AI is available to all and does not create technological divides.
• Trust and Safety: Deploying AI in a way that is ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy.
• Economic and Labor Market Development: Encouraging AI innovation while preventing market concentration and ensuring positive impacts on labor markets.
• Support for Developing Countries: Narrowing inequalities and assisting nations in AI capacity-building.
• Coalition for Sustainable AI launched
  • The Coalition for Sustainable AI was initiated by the French government in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
  • The coalition aims to create a driving force that brings together various actors committed to working towards sustainable AI.
  • The UK joined the Coalition for Sustainable AI but emphasized national interests, while the US criticized Europe’s regulatory approach.
  • India has also joined the coalition.
• Current AI Launched
  • A new global public interest AI Foundation called Current AI was launched at the AI Action Summit in Paris.
  • With an initial $400M investment, Current AI aims to reshape the existing AI landscape by developing and supporting large-scale initiatives that serve the public interest.
  • It was launched to promote AI for public good, aiming to counterbalance private-sector dominance. It will foster public-private collaboration in the field of AI.

PM Modi’s Address at the AI Action Summit: Key Highlights

• The Dawn of the AI Age
  • PM Modi emphasized that the world is at the beginning of the AI revolution, which is rapidly reshaping governance, the economy, security, and society.
• Call for a Global AI Framework
  • Modi advocated for a global governance structure for AI that promotes innovation while ensuring fair access, especially for the Global South, which lacks compute power, talent, data, and financial resources.
• Open-Source AI for Trust and Transparency
  • He stressed the importance of open-source AI systems and bias-free datasets to enhance trust and transparency.
  • Modi urged global collaboration in pooling resources and talent to democratize AI technology.
• AI and the Future of Jobs
  • Acknowledging concerns over job losses due to AI, Modi reassured that history has shown technology does not eliminate work but rather changes its nature.
  • He stressed the need for skilling and reskilling to prepare for an AI-driven future.
• The Need for Sustainable AI
  • Modi highlighted AI’s high energy consumption and called for green power solutions.
  • He also emphasized making AI models efficient in size, data needs, and resource requirements to ensure sustainability.
• India to Host the Next AI Summit
  • Modi proposed that India host the next AI Summit, an offer that was accepted.
  • He reiterated India’s commitment to sharing expertise and experiences in AI for the global good.
• Strengthening Global AI Partnerships
  • Modi welcomed the establishment of the AI Foundation and the Council for Sustainable AI, assuring India’s full support.
  • He also called for the Global Partnership for AI to be more inclusive of the Global South.