5-Oct-2020: Prime Minister inaugurates RAISE 2020 - a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  inaugurated RAISE 2020, a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) today. RAISE 2020 is a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors.

The Prime Minister praised the organizers for encouraging discussion on Artificial Intelligence. He said Technology has transformed our workplaces and has improved connectivity. He hoped the merger between  social responsibility and AI would enrich AI with human touch. He said the teamwork of AI with humans can do wonders for our planet.

He pointed that India has led the world in knowledge & learning and will continue to digitally excel  and delight the world.

Shri Modi said India has experienced how technology helps in improving transparency and service delivery.

The Prime Minister stressed how the world's largest unique identity system - Aadhaar along with the world's most innovative digital payments system - UPI has enabled providing access to digital services, including financial services, like Direct Cash Transfers to the poor and marginalised. During the pandemic, it has enabled in reaching out to people with help, at the earliest and in the most efficient manner.

The Prime Minister wished India to become a global hub for Artificial Intelligence and hoped many more Indians would start working on this in the times to come. He said the approach towards this goal is powered by core principles of: Teamwork, Trust, Collaboration, Responsibility and Inclusivity.

The Prime Minister said India has recently adopted the National Education Policy 2020, which focuses on technology-based learning and skilling as a major part of education. He added E-courses will also be developed in various regional languages and dialects. This whole effort will benefit from Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities of AI platforms. He said under the ‘Responsible AI for Youth’ program launched in April 2020, more than 11,000 students from schools completed the basic course. They are now building their AI projects.

The Prime Minister said the National Educational Technology Forum will create an e-Education unit to boost the digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity. He elaborated the steps taken to keep pace with the emerging technologies like setting up of Virtual labs, Atal Innovation Mission.

He said the National Programme on Artificial Intelligence will be dedicated for solving problems of society.

Shri Modi listed the sectors in which he envisions a big role for AI - agriculture, creating next generation urban infrastructure, addressing urban issues like: reducing traffic jams, improving sewage systems and laying energy grids, making disaster management systems stronger and solving the problem of climate change. He suggested using AI to seamlessly bridge language barriers and preserve the diversity of languages and dialects. He also suggested using AI for knowledge sharing.

The Prime Minister said Algorithm Transparency is key to establishing trust in how AI is used and it remains our collective responsibility to ensure it.

He urged to protect the world against weaponization of AI by Non-State Actors. He said human creativity and human emotions continue to be our greatest strength and are our unique advantage over machines. He urged everyone to think about how this intellectual edge over machines can be retained and ensure human intelligence is always a few steps ahead of AI. He said we should think about how AI can help humans to increase their own capacities.

The Prime Minister said AI will unlock the unique potential of each person and will empower them to contribute more effectively to the society. He urged the participants at RAISE 2020 to exchange ideas and chart a common course for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. He wished that the Action Roadmap for Responsible AI created out of the discussion would help in transforming the  lives and livelihoods of people across the world.

3-Oct-2020: MeitY holds Conference to unveil RAISE 2020 – a Global Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be organised from 5 to 9 October, 2020

Ministry of Electronics and Information technology ( MEITY) unveiled today RAISE 2020 – a Global Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a press conference organised in Electronics Niketan, New Delhi. The MEITY and NITI Aayog are organising the Mega Virtual Summit AI, RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ from October 5-9, 2020. The summit, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, will witness participation from global experts in the field.

The aim of the summit is to kick-start discussion on the creation of robust AI-powered public infrastructure that benefits all, not just in India but across the world. India, one of the founding members of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, aims to implement AI-based solutions not just domestically but in countries around the world so that these lead to widespread social empowerment and prosperity. #AIForAll is at the core of India’s AI strategy and the focus is to build responsible AI for social empowerment, transformation and inclusion.

Over the course of the five-day summit, several leading AI experts from across the world will deliberate over topics of vital importance like strategies for using AI for social benefit, the importance of creating reliable AI infrastructure and the transformative effect of AI in empowering communities.

Among the experts participating in the summit will be Professor Daniela Rus, Director of Computer Science and AI lab at MIT, USA, Dr. Milind Tambe, Director, AI for Social Good at Google Research India, Mr. Sandip Patel, MD, IBM India and South Asia, Dr. Jonathan Stuart Russel, Computer Scientist, UC Berkeley, and Ms. Arunima Sarkar, Lead, AI, World Economic Forum, among others.

Speaking at the press conference to unveil the summit, Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, “We firmly believe that AI can help transform lives. India is developing AI-based solutions for social empowerment across spheres like healthcare, education, finance, agriculture and governance. On the strength of its data and innovation prowess, India can become the AI laboratory of the world, delivering intuitive solutions to a wide range of societal issues.”

Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT said, “India has the talent and the institutional capacity to build an AI-ready workforce that innovates and delivers solutions to solve societal issues. We are taking steps to promote the development and integration of AI into important spheres of life, in order to improve the ease of living and overall quality of life. RAISE 2020 will serve as a starting point for India to become a data-driven society that leverages AI for social good.”

So far, more than 38,700 stakeholders from academia, the research industry and government representatives from 125 countries have registered to participate in RAISE 2020. An AI innovation contest titled Atma Nirbhar Bharat: AI Challenge and Pitch Fest was organized in the run up to RAISE 2020. The contest, which started on September 14 and ended on September 25, invited solutions to issues in the areas like healthcare, education, agriculture, smart mobility and natural language processing. Fifteen top AI solutions were selected by a jury, and will be awarded INR 20 lakh each on October 9.

From agriculture to fin-tech and healthcare to infrastructure, India is at the cusp of rapid development in artificial intelligence. India can become the AI laboratory of the world and contribute to inclusive development and growth through empowerment. Details of RAISE 2020 Summit have been made live at http://raise2020.indiaai.gov.in/. The summit will serve as a platform for discussion and consensus building to help create a data-rich environment, which will aid in, eventually, transforming lives globally.

About RAISE 2020: RAISE 2020 is a first-of-its-kind global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India's vision and roadmap for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment through responsible AI. Organized by Government of India along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and NITI Aayog, the event will witness robust participation from global industry leaders, key opinion makers, Government representatives and academia.

24-Sep-2020: RAISE 2020 – Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence to be held from October 5-9

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog will organize a Mega Virtual Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ from October 5-9, 2020. RAISE 2020 will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors.

At the RAISE 2020 Summit, delegates and experts in research, policy and innovation on Artificial Intelligence will join from across the globe. Keynote speeches and panel discussions will frame the summit, on cross-sector subjects like ‘Leveraging AI for Pandemic Preparedness’, ‘The Impetus that Innovation Places on Digitisation’, ‘Inclusive AI’, ‘Partnerships for Successful Innovation’ etc.

The RAISE 2020 Summit will also feature some of the most exciting startups working in Artificial Intelligence-related fields. Startups chosen through the AI Solution Challenge will showcase their solutions in the AI Startup Pitch fest scheduled on 6th Oct 2020. This is part of Government of India’s continuing support to tech entrepreneurs and startups by providing exposure, recognition and guidance.

Speaking about the Summit, Shri. Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said, “AI has emerged as a catalyst across industries and can play a transformative role in accelerating development. The Summit will explore in-depth, the role of AI in accelerating social empowerment. RAISE 2020 has tracks like AI for Health, Agriculture, Education, Skilling, Mobility, Fintech, Research, Inclusive AI, Future of Work, and Responsible AI, and the Summit will serve as a platform for the meeting of some of the best minds in the world on AI.”

Home to the world’s third largest startup ecosystem, elite science and technology institutions like the IITs, robust and ubiquitous digital infrastructure, and millions of newly-minted STEM graduates every year, India is well-positioned to become a global leader in the development of artificial intelligence. Industry analysts predict that AI could add up to $957 billion to India’s economy by 2035.  In the spirit of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi plans to leverage AI for inclusive development, representing the country's 'AI for All' strategy. Directed by the Prime Minister’s vision, India will soon stand out in the international community not just as a leader in the Artificial Intelligence field, but also as a model to show the world how to responsibly direct AI for social empowerment.

Talking about the Summit, Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, “From agriculture to fin-tech and healthcare to infrastructure, artificial intelligence can be a truly transformative force. India is uniquely positioned to become the AI laboratory of the world and contribute to inclusive development and growth through empowerment. The Summit aims to help create a data-rich environment, which is a stepping stone to eventually transform lives globally.”

RAISE 2020 (http://raise2020.indiaai.gov.in/) will facilitate an exchange of ideas to create mass awareness about the need to ethically develop and practice AI.

About RAISE 2020:

RAISE 2020 is a first of its kind, global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India's vision and roadmap for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment through responsible AI. Organized by Government of India along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the event will witness robust participation from global industry leaders, key opinion makers, Government representatives and academia.

26-Feb-2020: Government of India announces Maiden Summit on Artificial Intelligence to spearhead social empowerment, inclusion and transformation

The Government of India (GoI) announced the mega event, RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020,’ to be held from April 11-12 in New Delhi. RAISE 2020 is India's first Artificial Intelligence summit to be organized by the Government in partnership with Industry & Academia. The summit will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and charter a course to use AI for social empowerment, inclusion and transformation in key areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility amongst other sectors. Ahead of the summit, MeitY organized an Industry Consultation with industry representatives to bring in synergies within India’s Artificial Intelligence landscape.

The consultation was chaired by Shri. Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); Shri. Gopalakrishnan S., Additional Secretary, MeitY; Smt. Jyoti Arora, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, MeitY; Shri. Sanjay Goel, Joint Secretary, MeitY; Shri. Saurabh Gaur, Joint Secretary, MeitY and Shri. Abhishek Singh, President and CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD) from the Government. Apart from the Government, Industry associations including FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM & NASSCOM and corporates namely Intel, AWS, KPMG, IBM, Oracle and AI startups amongst others participated in the consultation.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri. Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the first of its kind two-day summit- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’. In our opinion, a data-rich environment like India has the potential to be the world’s leading AI laboratory which can eventually transform lives globally. AI technology is a powerful tool that can be used to create a positive impact in the Indian context, further becoming the AI destination for the world.”

Explaining in detail about the first of its kind event, Shri. Abhishek Singh, President and CEO, National e-Governance Division (NeGD), said, “The name ‘RAISE 2020’ came into being because we want to leverage responsible AI practices for enabling the masses. Through this summit we will outline India’s vision for utilizing the power of Artificial Intelligence to responsibly transform the social landscape for a better tomorrow. RAISE 2020 will facilitate an exchange of ideas to further create a mass awareness about the need to ethically develop and practice AI in the digital era."

During session, the Government also launched the AI-Startup Challenge and the event website as a part of championing the AI movement in India.

About RAISE 2020: RAISE 2020 is a first of its kind, global meeting of minds on Artificial Intelligence to drive India's vision and roadmap for social empowerment, inclusion and transformation through responsible AI.  The event will start with a Startup Challenge – Pitchfest followed by the two-day summit, organized by Government of India along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will witness robust participation from global industry leaders, key opinion makers, Government representatives and academia.