'We will exploit AI to its fullest': MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar says govt to use AI to focus on healthcare, education

During the recent Mumbai Tech Week, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, announced the government's commitment to fully leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to spur economic growth and enhance sectors such as healthcare and agriculture. Speaking on Monday, the Minister shared insights into the government's regulatory approach and its stark contrast to previous administrations' handling of critical sectors, including telecom, which had been plagued by significant scams.

In a rapid-fire interaction, Chandrasekhar reiterated the government's strategy to exploit AI to its fullest potential, not just to compete with advancements like ChatGPT, but to impact government services, healthcare, drug discovery, and agriculture. The focus will also extend to education, with initiatives tailored to support multiple Indian languages and datasets.

During the conference he said, "We intend to exploit AI to its fullest for achieving the goals of our economic growth, ensuring that AI makes a big impact on healthcare and drug discovery, as well as on agriculture and farmer productivity. Use cases are not about having bragging rights to compete with ChatGPT. That is not the direction we are going in. We will also go ahead and support education and there will be a focus in multiple languages of India, and multiple datasets."

Chandrasekhar, with over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, emphasized the need for an open, transparent, and consultative framework for regulation, highlighting the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to create "guardrails" for the orderly growth of the economy. This approach, he argued, is crucial for avoiding chaos and ensuring innovation thrives within a structured environment.

India as a global technology leader

The Minister also discussed India's position in the global technology arena, especially in comparison to China, particularly in the semiconductor industry. He pointed out the slowdown in China's momentum due to export control regimes and its decreasing trustworthiness as a tech partner. Contrarily, India is making significant strides, marked by the establishment of two full-scale semiconductor fabrication units and a $10 billion investment in the sector. Furthermore, the launch of the India Semiconductor Research Centre signifies India's commitment to becoming a leader in semiconductor technology and design.

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