A two-day Global AI Summit of the Telangana government got under way on September 5 with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reaffirming the State’s commitment to make most of the power of Artificial Intelligence and positioning Hyderabad as a future-ready city.
“If we think of India’s future, no city is as perfectly ready for it as Hyderabad. In our city, we not only embrace future, but also create it,” he told the event in which the State government outlined a roadmap for shaping AI through the proposed AI City, near here, as well as deploying the emerging technology to improve delivery of services to more than one crore citizens by 2027.
Stating that nothing changes society and lives of people as much as technology and innovation, the Chief Minister said “when any new technology comes, it brings both hope and fear. Hope of how it will make our life better, and fear of job losses, disruption.” He said this seeking to caution against India missing the AI revolution. Telangana’s commitment to AI is not new. “We have already taken big steps for AI… want to lay a strong foundation for our future,” he asserted.
Aspire to lead
IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu told the gathering that Telangana intends to not merely participate in the AI revolution but also play a leadership role. With it’s “unwavering commitment to technology and innovation would like to lead and will lead the revolution,” he said.
Highlighting the State’s 11.3% year-on-year rate of economic growth, a projected Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of $176 billion and highest per capita income of $4,160, the Minister reiterated the goal of transforming Telangana into a trillion-dollar economy in near future and $3 trillion within a decade.
At the core of the State’s AI strategy will be the proposed AI City on 200 acres near Hyderabad, dedicated to AI research and development as well as application. The AI City will be the “cradle of ground-breaking advancements, solidifying our status as a technological powerhouse. We also plan to launch an AI school in our AI City”, he said.
The State government has partnered with World Trade Centre, Shamshabad, to provide 2 lakh square feet of office space for AI-driven companies, ensuring they can commence operations swiftly while the AI City takes shape.
Crowdsource ideas
Stressing the importance of a collaborative approach to create an AI framework and ethical use of the technology, he said the State will invite global AI experts to work with it in shaping the policies as well as crowd source ideas and solutions from academia, industry and public. Telangana aspires to be at a forefront of AI advancements with this strategy. “We will also implement stringent regulations to prevent misuse of AI such as deepfakes and AI-driven misinformation thereby protecting individuals, institutions and democratic processes. For this we will take the help of premier educational institutions,” he said, adding AI will be leveraged for sustainable development.
IT industry leader and former chairman of Nasscom B.V.R. Mohan Reddy underscored the need to incorporate concepts of AI in the education system, setting up of more incubation centres as well as a translational research office for AI.
Published – September 06, 2024 01:04 am IST
