Common AI framework key to future development

At the just-concluded G20 summit in South Africa, where the agenda was themed “solidarity, equality, sustainability’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called fora “global Al compact” to ensure Alis human-centred, open-source, and inclusive.

- Purvi Mehta

This signalsa meaningful shift in how technologyis being tied to development and equity — andits transition from being blue sky, futuristic buzzword.

Al is an important tool for development efforts —a new tool in addressing the old challenges. With inclusive design, they can leapfrog solutions to legacy constraints. Take health care for instance. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021, roughly 4.5 billion people globally — i.e., close to half of the world’s population — did not have access to essential health services. Personalised Al-based health chats can extend coverage to such populations. Al's potential is also realised in smarter and equitable management of resources. Whether it isenergy-grids, water supply, disaster risk management, fraud detection, AI can optimise, predict, and automate for efficiency, accessibility and affordability.