Business Standard TechTalk on AI and Business: Navigating the opportunities and challenges, was held at Bengaluru on Friday.
Recalling the government’s initiatives a few weeks ago on the launch of the new version of Skill India, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who also holds the portfolio of Union minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship, said that the edition of the programme is focused on being both industry and future ready.
Elaborating on the programme, Chandrasekhar said that it was clear from the industry that AI skills and adjacent skills will be in great demand in the years to come.
Chandrasekhar noted that the first perspective on AI went back to PM Modi’s thoughts expressed in a quote he made in 2018, the purport of which was: “We need to make AI, make AI work for India.”
The minister recalled having driven for a good nine and a half hours to a remote village while visiting Nagaland. Once there, he asked the inhabitants how many were getting benefits directly transferred into their accounts. “All hands were raised,” he said. How many had an internet connection? “Again, all hands were raised.
“We should be prepared for this dispruption,” said the minister, adding that it is affecting not just India but the entire world. “We have the talent pool, we have young Indians willing to skill, reskill and upskill,” Chandrasekhar asserted, adding that the temperament to skill/upskill is crucial as some roles down the will become redundant or diminish in importance. This trend, he said, would be seen across industries and sectors as diverse as accounting, auditing and the legal profession.
Asserting that AI ought to be used as a transformational tool, not as a disruptive tool, designed to reach populations in the remotest of regions, Chandrasekhar said the government had launched the India AI programme, consisting of three Centres of Excellence, whose aim is to connect the various spokes of the AI ecosystem, such as academia, startups and big industry to these CoEs, which would serve as hubs.
Another key pillar of the India AI programme, he said, was healthcare.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Business News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.