A few days ago, Open AI’s CEO Sam Altman testified before the US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law asking, in effect, to be regulated. His submissions, along with those of IBM Vice President Christina Montgomery and New York University Professor Gary Marcus, went some way in explaining generative artificial intelligence (AI) and gave American legislators an opportunity to express their concerns about its impact on society, the economy, and the political system. These high-profile appearances also underlined the importance of generative AI and the sensitivities surrounding its development.
One way of looking at it is that ChatGPT and other generative AI tools have democratised technology by bringing previously unfathomable computing power to search, data analysis, video and audio generation, and software development among other areas. Generative AI has the power to alter how people find information, generate new audio and videos, create new products, and respond in real time to emerging events.
But, as has been established, several issues have emerged that concern consumers, academic experts, and policymakers. Among the worrisome problems of mindless adoption of AI include harmful content, disinformation, favouritism and biases of all kinds, lack of transparency, workforce impact, and intellectual property theft. Writing recently, governance and technology expert Darrell M. West pointed out that those making the submissions saw these issues as quite serious and in need of meaningful action.
More surprisingly, he added, there were bipartisan calls for tougher regulation and greater disclosure of AI utilisation; this, at a time when Washington political conversations are highly polarised and partisan. Nearly all lawmakers agreed there needed to be stronger guardrails that safeguard basic human values if advanced and emerging technologies are to be a common good. So, once again, the USA has taken the lead in confronting an emergent technological development. Whither India?
The question acquires considerable significance given there are no excuses this time around. Which is to say, India missed out on being in the forefront of the three previous industrial revolutions the world has witnessed: Steam Power, Electricity, and Computing. But the country is very much in the mix in the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, which is the digital revolution. The application of advanced technologies provides an opportunity for India to escape the technology ‘lower end’ and build a knowledge society to meet the aspirations of millions. Harnessing digital technologies such as generative AI have become a vital component of comprehensive national power. Research in and access to advanced technologies, and their integration into our national priorities, could be the gamechanger. India can leapfrog the traditional, linear growth paths if it can put in place adequate safeguards and engage with the world to establish the global rules of the game, as it were. But to do that, we first need a national debate and consensus on the way forward. There is, unfortunately, no sign of it yet.