Taskforce on AI seeks public opinion
NEW DELHI: The government of India has set up an 18-member task force on artificial intelligence (AI) led by Kamakoti Veezhinathan who is a computer science professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to create a framework for the deployment of AI across domains.
“The purpose of the task force is to explore areas where AI can be leveraged for economic transformation and look at its various facets beyond the technology component,” explained Veezhinathan. “AI is a complex area and several issues pertaining to ethical usage as well as social acceptance must be carefully considered before a decision is made.”
The task force is currently inviting public opinion on various issues related to AI. Interested members of the public can give their opinion and suggestions on any aspect related to AI across 15 domains including manufacturing, healthcare, education, agriculture, security, environment and big data among others, on the website, aitf.org.in. All recorded public opinion will be placed in front of the task force during their meetings.
The 18 members who meet regularly as well as interact virtually plan to submit a set of policy recommendations by December. “The task force plans to focus on specific enablers across domains by integrating the opinions of academia, industry as well as the general public,” he said.
According to Veezhinathan, since the key stakeholders will be the industry and the users, it is imperative to ensure that the users engage with this topic and make the discussion inclusive by sharing their opinion. “No matter what is suggested, the success of technology lies in how well users receive it and obtaining the public’s suggestion will help us understand their demands and concerns,” he added. “Further, this could help us know the requirements of a specific industry if, for instance, a farmer tells us what kind of equipment they need to improve productivity.”
AI has been at the centre of debates globally with analysts claiming that despite contributing to GDP growth automation could lead to job cuts across industries. However, Veezhinathan feels that AI can help one transform their skill set and many of those employed in hazardous jobs could be given better working conditions and a newer skill set of managing the AI tools that replace human labour.