'AI for all, but use responsibly': Finance Minister at IIIT Kottayam convocation

Kottayam: Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, on Saturday stated that India is not only at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption but is also actively shaping how AI is governed.

Speaking at the 6th convocation of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Kottayam, the minister highlighted India’s growing role in global AI governance.

"We're not just leading in AI adoption. We're also shaping how AI is governed. Important for us to understand that. Not only are you using it, but you're also shaping how AI is governed. The recent AI-related summit was called the AI Action Summit, which was held in Paris, where India was made to co-chair the event—not really all that easy for sitting at the table, at the head table, at the top table, and co-chairing that event. Honourable Prime Minister Modi spoke about how AI is not just a national issue but a global responsibility."

Responsible use of AI

She emphasised the importance of responsible AI usage and ethical considerations.

"So it's not just AI for all of us to play around with; come up with solutions to handle it with a greater sense of responsibility. That is why when the Prime Minister, sitting as a co-chair in a global AI action summit, says these words, it gives us a very big message of, use AI but use it responsibly. Do not misuse it; do not use it unethically. So it is very important for us to have an AI that is ethical, which is inclusive, and which is trustworthy."

She further cautioned against the fear of AI misuse and the need for early ethical considerations.

"Otherwise, that fear that some sections of society may have, what if AI leads to a lot of undetected unethical practices? Where are we to go for protection? That fear will not be mitigated unless we, from the beginning, understand it with responsibility."

Government’s AI initiatives

Sitharaman highlighted the government’s proactive approach in AI policymaking.

"I know you're doing a lot of work on AI, internet-related things, IoT and so on. But India’s not just experimenting with AI. Sitting in the government, I can tell you we have taken a lot of information from stakeholders but also continuously kept doing our policy to make sure AI gets the due attention."

She also referenced Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s remarks on India’s AI leadership.

"I'd like to bring here before you and remind you of the words of Satya Nadella, the Microsoft CEO. He said India is a use case capital of the world for AI. For AI, India is the use case capital. What does it mean? That's a very big statement that is made. So it means that we are not just talking about AI or doing research in AI. We are actually implementing it at scale."

AI adoption in India

Highlighting the rapid adoption of AI in the country, she cited app download statistics.

"Look at the number: AI-related apps in India have been downloaded 3 billion, not million, billion, more than the US. The US's number is 1.5 billion, more than China's, which is 1.3 billion; ours is 3 billion, and theirs is 1.3 billion."

The minister also underscored India’s progress in innovation and intellectual property.

India's ranking in the Global Innovation Index has improved significantly, moving from the 81st position in 2015 to 39th in 2024 among 133 economies.

Additionally, she highlighted the country’s growth in patent activity.

"India’s patent-to-GDP ratio—a measure of the economic impact of patent activity—has grown significantly, from 144 in 2013 to 381 in 2023."

She also noted India's strong position in intangible asset intensity.

"The country holds the 7th position in intangible asset intensity, surpassing the growth rates of many high-income economies."

Furthermore, she stated that India secured the 6th spot in global intellectual property filings as per the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2023. She also highlighted India’s advancement in digital readiness.

"India has improved its Network Readiness Index ranking from 79th in 2019 to 49th in 2024, which shows that India is moving towards greater innovation and greater self-reliance."

The minister’s remarks underscore India’s strong push towards AI governance, responsible adoption, and fostering innovation on a global scale.

ANI