Satya Nadella says faster "diffusion" of AI will ensure "equal distribution of economic growth"

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has underlined the importance of spreading the benefits of AI faster across the world.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is in India and he stressed that AI can "equally distribute" growth. (AP)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to change the face of the world as far as economic transformation is concerned. However, along with the many positives, there are a huge number of negatives that may deprive humanity of all the benefits and in fact, it is widely feared that it may even spark an Armageddon. In this scenario, many AI leaders have put their faith in countries coming up with some sensible AI regulations. And now, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella underlined the importance of both two countries, India and the US, cooperating on creating rules of governance that would allow only the good to prevail. Not just these two leading countries, Nadella added that a "consensus" on AI is essential at the multilateral levels too. Nadella was speaking at a gathering of business leaders from consultancies, legal firms and information technology companies.

"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 said.

What is also required, he said, was to ensure a faster "diffusion" of the technology as this will help the world to have "equal distribution of economic growth". Currently, Nadella is in India and he stressed that the new-age technology can "equally distribute" growth. And for that, a huge effort will have to be spent on adequately skilling the workforce in India. And in this regard, Nadella said Microsoft will be skilling 20 lakh Indians on AI and that too by 2025. The skills thereby imparted will ensure that the workforce "thrives", he averred.

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Nadella also indicated that this new technology can help boost GDP growth in India, and termed it as one of the high-growth markets in the world. He quoted some data to back up this claim from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity), which had said 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, PTO reported.

Nadella listed a number of companies in India that are rushing into AI and among them are Tata Group's Air India, cigarette maker ITC, textiles player Arvind, Infosys and HCL Technologies. He said that all of them are using AI tools for a host of organisational functions. Nadella added that building your own AI applications has never been easier.

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