India, despite having the potential to benefit significantly from the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), faces considerable roadblocks on its path to fully embracing this game-changing technology. By 2035, AI could potentially boost India’s GDP by $957 billion and increase its national growth rate by 1.3%. However, challenges like data security, privacy concerns, and infrastructural limitations must be addressed to ensure successful AI implementation across various sectors.
Key Obstacles Hindering AI Adoption in India
Data Security and Privacy Concerns
AI solutions rely heavily on Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), which require vast amounts of private and sensitive data. Implementing AI introduces numerous security and privacy vulnerabilities that can increase an organization’s exposure to cyber risks and geopolitical threats. The Personal Data Protection Bill of 2019 and the National Cyber Security Plan of 2020 are steps in the right direction to address these concerns.
Data Annotation and Labeling
Regulatory constraints on data and the time-consuming processes of data annotation and labelling are essential to creating meaningful datasets for AI. Recently, the Indian government granted access to geospatial data and services, which is expected to encourage innovation in this field.
Cloud Computing and AI Infrastructure
AI and cloud computing are interdependent, as AI’s data-hungry nature demands cloud solutions for storage and computation. India currently lacks access to specialized computing and storage infrastructure required for AI development. Initiatives like AIRAWAT, an AI-first compute infrastructure, serve as a starting point to address these limitations.
Government Initiatives and Future Outlook
India’s government is actively promoting AI adoption through initiatives like #AIforAll by NITI Aayog, which aims to democratize AI usage. The government also plans to implement AI in healthcare, agriculture, and e-governance under the Digital India agenda.
By addressing the challenges and capitalizing on AI’s potential, India could become a hub for AI solutions catering to both domestic and international markets. A concerted effort to improve data security, streamline data annotation and labelling, and enhance AI and cloud infrastructure will be vital in enabling India to fully adopt and benefit from AI technology.