India forms policy group to study AI, to avoid unwelcome consequences

When the world is debating the rise in adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and its consequences, India has formed a "policy group" to study the new technologies and recommended a framework for its adoption, according to IT industry body Nasscom.

"We all are currently working out on a policy framework on AI," said K S Viswanathan, Vice President, Nasscom.

He added that a "policy group" has been created by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology with representation from the academia and Nasscom.

The aim of the group is to focus on aspects such as workforce skilling, privacy, security and fixing responsibility if anything goes wrong.

Recently, the tech world has raised concerns over AI’s unwelcome consequences and are hence making a pitch for a regulation. However, there are other who feel that the industry will continue finding required solutions by itself.

Elon Musk is the most vociferous opponent of AI. In July of this year, Musk told a gathering of U.S. governors that AI is a “fundamental existential risk for human civilization and I don’t think people fully appreciate that.”

Some Tesla Motors vehicles equipped with autopilot are currently able to operate certain self-driving functions on the road. At the same time, Musk has expressed a great fear of computer-automated decision-making via artificial intelligence.

This month, in a Twitter reply, Musk said, “China, Russia, soon all countries w strong computer science. Competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WW3 imo.” “May be initiated not by the country leaders, but one of the AI’s, if it decides that a preemptive strike is most probable path to victory.”