RAISE 2020: AI will not replace human mind, it never can, it never will, says Mukesh Ambani

The Indian government on Monday hosted the Responsible AI for Social Empowerment (RAISE) 2020 summit, which is aimed at exploring use cases of AI such that they address various issues being faced by society. The five-day long virtual event saw many dignitaries including NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and MeitY and Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani sharing their views on artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in transforming the country.

At the event, Ambani lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for various initiatives that have been pivotal for the country’s digital transformation. “Six years ago sir, you launched the Digital India Mission and made it a top national priority. And the results have been spectacular,” he said while elaborating on the changes that have occurred in the country since then. The list includes the availability of 4G broadband service to nearly 99% people, Bharat Net Initiative that includes the availability of optic fibre network in towns and villages across the country, Make in India initiative and India becoming the hub for world-class data centres.

“We have gone from 155th in the world to number 1 in mobile data consumption...Along with IoT [presence of world-class data centres, this is laying the groundwork for smart platforms that will converge physical and digital domains,” he added.

Apart from talking about the country’s ‘digital’ achievements, Ambani also talked about the importance of digital capital. “Data is the raw material for Artificial Intelligence. Intelligent data is Digital Capital...In the past, nations have competed on physical capital, financial capital, human capital and intellectual capital. But, in the coming decades… nations will increasingly compete on Digital Capital,” he said.

“India has the unique advantage to harness its enormous Digital Capital for AI-driven development, which is bottom-up and inclusive...When 1.3 billion Indians are digitally empowered, they will unleash a proliferation of new digital enterprises that will create faster economic growth, greater prosperity, high-quality employment opportunities, and better standards of living … across all sections of our society,” he added.

Apart from these, the RIL Chairman also talked about the impact of AI on the society. “The advent of modern Artificial Intelligence is comparable only to the birth of intelligent life on our planet. In the coming decades, the total non-biological intelligence will exceed the rational intelligence of the entire human population,” he said adding, “But this does not mean that AI will replace the human mind. It never can. It never will.”

Despite stressing on the fact that AI will not replace humans, Ambani said that AI and the associated technologies will expand the human capability to solve complex problems.

“AI and other associated technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution will vastly expand our capacity to solve most complex and pressing problems before India and the world. Specifically, AI will enable India to move faster towards achieving the five ambitious goals set by our Prime Minister,” he added.

Ambani listed these goals to be transforming India into a high growth economy on its path to $5 trillion, making our Industry and our small businesses Atmanirbhar and dominating new global value chains, modernising Indian agriculture and multiplying incomes of our farmers, delivering high-quality and affordable healthcare to all Indians and delivering world-class education, skill training and talent enrichment to every Indian, including those in the remotest parts of rural India.

“India has the resilience and resolve to bounce back and progress faster than ever before,” he said.