NEW DELHI: Collective participation is essential to position India as a global AI hub, said Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, on Monday. The minister, while speaking at the India AI Impact event in Delhi, also mentioned that India’s ambition is not merely to be an AI consumer but to emerge as an AI service provider to the world. He added that the responsibility does not rest solely with the government in terms of policymaking, but extends to every stakeholder — from industry and startups to young innovators and researchers. Every individual, he said, has a stake in the process.
"To truly make India an AI service provider for the world, we all have to chip in and contribute in whichever fashion we can," said the minister.
Prasada also underscored the importance of digital literacy, warning that AI-driven misinformation has the potential to derail democracies. He said AI can influence people’s opinions in harmful ways and that decisions, including voting choices, could be affected by false information. "If you don't get into digital literacy, then you have the vulnerability of falling to cyber threats. Cyber security is such a big issue, and AI deep fakes misinformation. And a country like India, which is truly democratic, and elections are happening all around the year, be it at the central level, state or municipality. But if there's kind of misinformation using AI, it has the power to derail democracies,” added Prasada.
He further said students should not see AI as a shortcut, cautioning that it must not undermine curiosity, rational thinking, or the learning process. "Some people say an AI tutor is much better. But that doesn't mean you want to replace a teacher. You can't," Prasada said.
India is hosting the fourth AI Summit, following previous editions in the UK, South Korea, and France. Global technology leaders such as Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman, along with representatives from around 20 countries, including Brazil and France, are among participants from nearly 100 nations expected to attend the summit.