India-US AI Regulation Cooperation: Satya Nadella

Mumbai, Feb 7 (PTI) India and the US need to cooperate on framing regulations on artificial intelligence (AI), Microsoft's chief Satya Nadella said on Wednesday, stressing that the new-age technology can "equally distribute" growth.

The India-born chairman and chief executive officer of the global tech giant said the company will be skilling 20 lakh Indians on AI by 2025.

A "consensus" on AI, which he termed as a powerful general-purpose technology, is essential at the multilateral levels as well, he said, adding that a faster "diffusion" of the technology can help us have "equal distribution of economic growth".

Replying to a question on the cooperation between the US and India on AI, Nadella stressed on greater cooperation between New Delhi and Washington.

"I think it's imperative especially for India and the United States to be able to cooperate, what are the norms, what are the regulations even, instead of fracturing them," Nadella, who is on a two-day visit to the country, said.

On the announcement to train 20 lakh Indians, he said that instilling skills to ensure that the workforce "thrives" is the most important thing a company like it can be doing.

Addressing the audience comprising of business leaders from consultancies, legal firms and information technology companies, Nadella hinted that AI can help boost GDP growth in India as well, and termed India as one of the highest growth markets in the world.

He also presented a data point from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) to say that the AI GDP will be USD 500 billion by 2025, when the overall GDP will be USD 5 trillion.

The Microsoft CEO said while efforts are on to increase power generation from renewable sources, India also has to focus on grid stability and added that technology will play an important role in the same.

Nadella said he met Tata Group's chairman N Chandrasekaran earlier in the day, and added that the conglomerate's airline arm Air India has embarked on AI adoption, which includes having an "agent" to help a customer with ticket booking.

Similarly, other Indian enterprises, including cigarette maker ITC, textiles player Arvind, non-profits, and IT companies like Infosys and HCL Technologies, have been using AI tools for a host of organisational functions, he said.

Citing multiple examples of usage of AI by Indian enterprises and also non-profits, Nadella said the ability to build your own AI applications has never been easier.

AI can also be used for furthering scientific progress, Nadella said, citing examples where the company has been of help.

In a country like India, where there is a lot of "investment going into core basic science", it holds the promise to leapfrog on the science revolution, he said.

A person in the know said Nadella is also scheduled to meet with the country's largest lender SBI's management led by chairman Dinesh Khara. The visiting Microsoft chairman is scheduled to be in Bengaluru on Thursday.