Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant highlighted the importance of treating artificial intelligence (AI) as public infrastructure to ensure its benefits are accessible to all segments of society. Speaking at the “AI for the Next Billion” session, Kant stressed that AI should be inclusive, affordable, multilingual, and accountable. He emphasized the need for technology to cater to low-income individuals, those in low-bandwidth areas, non-English speakers, women, farmers, MSMEs, and frontline workers to be truly effective.
Kant stated that if AI does not serve these groups, it fails to fulfill its purpose. He compared the necessity of AI to be designed and governed like India’s Digital Public Infrastructure to ensure accessibility, affordability, multilingual support, and accountability. Kant explained that India’s success with digital public infrastructure demonstrates how technology, when focused on scalability and inclusivity, can enhance lives and create more opportunities.
Highlighting the potential of AI as a powerful tool for inclusion when treated as public infrastructure, Kant emphasized the importance of trust and widespread deployment. He envisioned AI as a means to benefit millions across India, emphasizing the need for a people-centric and inclusive approach in developing and governing AI systems. Kant suggested that by leading with inclusive AI systems, India can set a global standard for the development and governance of emerging technologies.
