Sanjay Sehgal is an award-winning entrepreneur and technology CEO. Mr. Sanjay is the Chairman and CEO of MSys Group, a company with global prominence and bases in USA, India, and Vietnam. Startup Reporter recently conducted an interview with Mr. Sanjay Sehgal to shares his views on India as a country on AI.
What are your views on the current views of India as a country on AI?
India has maintained a very Pro-AI stance on this frontier and while this is very encouraging, the current legislation is not equipped to deal with the pitfalls of AI. Developing a comprehensive regulatory framework that addresses issues related to privacy, intellectual property, and the responsible use of generative AI is crucial in ensuring the ethical and safe deployment of this technology. These frameworks aim to strike a balance between promoting innovation and protecting the rights and interests of individuals and society as a whole.
AI can also play a crucial role in filling gaps in the workforce by complementing and enhancing human capabilities. It can thoroughly enable reformed organization structures that produce efficient output while leaving scope for helping workers upgrade their skills.
What sort of technological advancements can we expect from AI in India in the next 5 years?
AI is a very dynamic space with big tech companies rushing to create generative AI models to cover all possible solutions in the next decade. India has always been at par with global tech development stages and our workforce strives to be one of the most cost efficient in the world. This phase puts everything to test as there are several big Generative AI opportunities that can propel even smallest companies to a global scale.
Our AI solutions and advancements will have to be niche, solution oriented for our country and most importantly aim to upscale the untapped potential of Indian citizens.
On a more humane front, Generative AI can also be evolved to tackle mental wellness and loneliness. Back in 2013, a movie called ‘her’ described a future where the protagonist would talk to an AI chatbot to deal with the grief of his life. 10 years later, we now have a viable option to help people be less lonely and use technology as a self improvement tool.
What are the potential pitfalls of AI that the end user needs protection from?
With each passing day, the cybersecurity industry has growing concerns on the precision of scams using AI. This ranges from using Natural Language processing techniques to create customized messaging to target victims or creating deep fakes to make the message look more authentic.
Some other major concerns also include the pitfalls of big data technology. AI models heavily rely on large datasets for training. If these datasets contain personal or sensitive information and are not properly secured, it can lead to data breaches. Unauthorized access to such datasets can compromise individuals’ privacy and expose them to identity theft or other forms of misuse. Beyond this IP rights protection is also imperative as generative language models rely heavily on recreating content from existing data sets. In simple terms, it does not own the content it creates. Regulations should clarify the ownership and attribution of AI-generated works to ensure fair compensation for creators and prevent unauthorized use.
What are your expectations from the new Digital India Act bill set to be introduced by the government?
AI implementation and automation of industries may be still a futuristic reality, but if the past has taught us anything, it is that change is constant and so is survival of the fittest in evolution. It is imperative for these regulatory frameworks to be developed collaboratively, involving various stakeholders such as policymakers, legal experts, technologists, ethicists, and representatives from affected industries and user communities. Additionally, these frameworks should be adaptable and periodically reviewed to keep pace with technological advancements and evolving societal needs. India is pro-AI and pro-technology but we should also account for the safety & integrity of the end user.
From a technical perspective what does it take to understand the nuances of pitfalls of AI?
Ethics always plays catch up with innovation. This stands true for almost all the major tech innovations where policymakers have struggled to understand the nuances and tech giants have thrived with end users left to fend for themselves. Understanding the nuances and pitfalls of AI requires a comprehensive technical perspective, as well as an awareness of the broader ethical, social, and legal implications of AI technologies. It requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of ethics, privacy, regulations, and societal implications. This holistic perspective is crucial to developing responsible and trustworthy AI systems that benefit society while minimizing potential risks and harms.
Please share a few Indian startups that you think are doing well in the AI space
There are several platforms that are deploying AI to create unique solutions, for example, Arya.AI is using Deep Learning solutions for the BFSI sector. Then there is also NextBillion.AI that uses spatial data + AI platform which helps enterprises build, scale and manage their own mapping ecosystem.
These are just a few examples of India even in its nascent stages of AI development curve is already thriving with several innovations & changemakers.
