Introduction

NITI Aayog published the second part of its approach document on Responsible AI in August 2021, which focuses on operationalizing principles for Responsible AI as against the first part which studied the various considerations for responsible AI under systems and societal bindings. The document is based on widespread consultations with experts across research, law, non-profit, civil society and private sector on the ethical use of AI that will benefit the broader section of the society. India, a country of skilled and talented individuals, needs to chart out a roadmap to build a robust AI ecosystem so as to capitalize on it and drive the economy. However, at the same point of time, increased usage of AI has its own risks which needs to be addressed.

This is where the role of government becomes crucial. Even though the private sector has a significant role to play in the AI development of the country, government interventions at certain junctures are important to drive adoption in social sectors, build trust in the technology through responsibility and accountability and improve acceptance of AI systems by the public. However, this should be done in harmony with the private sector and research institutes. While the vibrant private sector boasts close to 1000 AI start-ups, the research and educational institutes are laying the AI foundations in students. The report reiterates the need to ensure that organizations are committed towards adopting responsible AI practices and adherence to standard guidelines and framework towards achieving it. However, government may still mandate responsible AI practices for high-risk AI use cases.

Relevance of the Report

The document lists down a series of actions that the ecosystem must adopt to drive responsible AI. To make it even clearer, the report breaks down the actions needed to be taken by both the government as well as the private sector in partnership with research institutes into two areas, namely regulatory and policy interventions, capacity building, incentivising ethics by design, creating frameworks for compliance with relevant AI standards. Above all, the document also benchmarks the technology and legislative approaches for responsible AI and identifies seven principles that could drive the AI ecosystem in India.

Key Takeaways

• Operationalizing and implementing principles laid down for Responsible AI is the key to realize the results
• A balance needs to be attained between maximizing overall benefits along with minimizing risks while adopting these principles
• Bridging sectoral and regional gaps to drive a coordinated response to challenges arising out of AI is important
• There is a need to inculcate an attitude towards developing responsible AI among private sectors