Former Google Chief Calls For Indo-US Alliance On AI To Solve Geopolitical Standoffs

The US and India could address common geopolitical and security concerns using artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, said Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google parent Alphabet Inc as well as chairman, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), an independent commission in the US. 

Schmidt said that the formal US-India strategic tech alliance, proposed by NSCAI, would enable the strategic refocus of US policy — with India as the focal point — in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Schmidt was speaking at the 93rd FICCI Annual Convention on December 12. As part of NSCAI, Schmidt has called for the US department of state to partner with India’s ministry of external affairs and come up with a concrete agenda for cooperation.

“Tech alliance will build on the already strong alliance that we have between two largest democracies and focus on implementing a strategy for emerging technology in this region,” he added.

Schmidt said that the alliance would help develop strategies on cooperation for research and development projects around AI and other emerging technologies. He pointed out that it is important for the US and India to get their AI use cases right, since the competitors of the US, such as Russia and China have begun using the emerging technology for various means. While Russia is using AI for military purposes, China is using it for a disinformation campaign, according to Schmidt. 

In October, the Indian government had also organised a virtual global summit, Responsible AI For Social Empowerment or RAISE 2020, where key stakeholders from the government, industry and academia discussed ways for leveraging AI for social empowerment, through its use in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education and smart mobility.

According to a report by Accenture, AI has the potential to add $957 Bn, or 15% of India’s current gross value to the economy, in 2035.

A report by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and NITI Aayog, on the national strategy for AI, is built on the “AI for All” concept. This highlights the need for developing open source systems to democratize the AI industry, making it a resource accessible to all. India strategizes to become the garage of AI solutions providers for 40% of the world including emerging and developing economies.

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