Lara Zijl 
India’s Scientific Advisor, Ajay Sood, has assured the nation that India will develop its own equivalent of Chat-GPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot. However, he emphasized that India should not simply copy existing models but instead focus on creating sector-specific AI solutions with a parallel framework that fosters innovation.
Sood, speaking at the Carnegie 9th Global Tech Summit, highlighted the importance of ingenuity and avoiding blind imitation. He cited the example of Deep Seek, a 40-billion parameter sector-specific AI model, as an example of how India can develop its own unique AI solutions.
Sood also addressed the crucial issue of AI regulation, emphasizing the need for a techno-legal framework that is sector-specific to avoid stifling innovation. He stressed that generic rules and regulations can hinder progress, and the government aims to promote AI while ensuring its safety.
India’s commitment to developing its own large language model was further emphasized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the AI Summit in Paris back in February. Modi highlighted the importance of considering India’s diversity when developing AI, and he outlined a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources, making compute power accessible to startups and researchers at affordable costs.
Modi also acknowledged the potential risks associated with AI, such as deepfakes and disinformation, and urged global leaders to democratize the technology and prioritize reskilling the workforce. He emphasized the need for technology to be rooted in local ecosystems, enhancing trust, transparency, and people-centric applications to address concerns related to cybersecurity.
