The AI Action Summit is being held on 10-11 February in Paris and is being attended by many top global leaders, tech executives, policymakers, and experts to discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors.
Leaders, top government officials, CEOs, and scientists from about 100 countries are attending the two-day international summit that began on Monday.
The summit aims to shape a global AI governance framework amid rapid technological advancements.
The US and the UK have refused to sign a declaration on “inclusive and sustainable” artificial intelligence at a landmark Paris summit, in a blow to hopes for a concerted approach to developing and regulating the technology.
The communique states that priorities include “ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all” and “making AI sustainable for people and the planet”.
The document was backed by 60 other signatories on Tuesday, including France, China, India, Japan, Australia and Canada.
AI Action Summit in Paris concludes: India announced as next host
Key points of PM Modi’s speech:
- AI as Code for Humanity: Modi stated that AI is reshaping society, the economy, and security, and is writing the code for humanity in the 21st century. He noted AI’s unprecedented scale and speed of development.
- Global Governance: Modi called for global standards and regulations for AI, emphasising the need to address risks, promote innovation, and ensure equitable access, particularly for the Global South. He advocated for open-source systems to enhance trust and transparency and for building quality data sets free from biases.
- AI Biases: Modi highlighted the presence of biases in AI systems, stating that AI’s potential is amazing, but biases demand careful scrutiny and correction.
- Job Loss Concerns: Addressing concerns about job losses due to AI, Modi said that history shows that technology changes the nature of work rather than eliminating it. He stressed the importance of skilling and re-skilling people for an AI-driven future.
- AI Applications: Modi noted AI’s potential to transform lives by improving health, education, and agriculture and to help achieve sustainable development goals.
- Digital Infrastructure: Modi mentioned India’s success in building a digital public infrastructure for 1.4 billion people at a low cost, highlighting India’s AI talent pool and techno-legal solutions for data privacy.
- Threats of AI: Modi called for addressing concerns related to cybersecurity, disinformation, and deepfakes.
- AI Sustainability: Modi spoke about AI sustainability, highlighting its high energy requirements.
