A delegation from the Ministry will attend the Race Finals to meet the students participating and present the winning team with their trophy…reports Asian Lite News
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has announced its collaboration with Dubai-based motorsports and automotive events agency Pole Position to become the strategic partner of the UAE Greenpower STEM Education Programme in which teams of students build an electric car and race against other schools to determine who can build the most energy efficient electric vehicle.
On 20th March, students and teachers from GEMS Winchester School, who are participating in the programme, had the opportunity to visit the Ministry and talk about their experience of Greenpower with Sharif Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs.
The students described the benefits of working on the Greenpower Programme, how it has helped raise their awareness of sustainability issues and their excitement for the upcoming Race Finals in May 2024.
Representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure had previously visited GEMS Winchester School back in November 2023 to observe students building their Greenpower car and were so impressed with the initiative that they have since agreed to support the programme and help expand it into schools across the UAE.
A delegation from the Ministry will attend the Race Finals to meet the students participating and present the winning team with their trophy.
The programme, backed by the Greenpower Education Trust in the UK, was launched in the UAE in 2023 and since September, 10 teams of students aged 11-16 from GEMS Schools have been building their Greenpower cars and designing the bodywork to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and minimise weight, as well as sourcing sustainable materials for construction. They are now making their finishing touches to their cars, ready to race them in May.
The Greenpower Race Finals involve two 60-minute races where the winners will be the teams whose cars travel the furthest distance over time. The event will culminate in a prizegiving ceremony during which First, Second and Third Place trophies will be presented and awards for the Most Sustainable Team and the Best Team Spirit.
The Greenpower Programme enables students worldwide to learn about science, engineering, and the environment, gain real-world experience, and discover the power of teamwork by building and racing an electric car. Greenpower also encourages girls to enter engineering careers, with on average 40% of those taking part in the programme each year being female.
Al Olama said, “Empowering the next generations of innovators and sustainability champions is our priority. The Greenpower Programme is a shining example of an initiative that helps empower youngsters to become part of the solution to global challenges. We encourage more schools to participate in the programme and open the door for their students to embrace innovative thinking. We are confident the Race Finals will be full of excitement and wish all competitors the best of luck.”
“We are grateful that the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has given its support to the Greenpower Programme in the UAE, and we look forward to working with them to further promote this initiative across schools throughout the UAE,” said Ryan Trutch, Founder and CEO of Pole Position.
He added, “This Programme, which attracts 10,000 students worldwide each year, has already created huge enthusiasm amongst the students taking part, helping to encourage them to look at engineering careers in electric vehicle and motorsports industry, and we look forward to seeing their cars in action at the Race Finals.”
Those attempting to access the app or its web version were met with an error message indicating the service was unavailable…reports Asian Lite News
WhatsApp and Instagram, both owned by Meta, have been restored after experiencing a worldwide outage.
WhatsApp and Instagram experienced a widespread outage on Wednesday around 11:45 pm, affecting numerous users worldwide.
Those attempting to access the app or its web version were met with an error message indicating the service was unavailable.
“We know some people are experiencing issues right now, we’re working on getting things back to 100% for everyone as quickly as possible,” said WhatsApp in a post on X.
Downdetector, a website monitoring service, recorded a surge in reports of WhatsApp and Instagram having problems during this time.
This is for the second time in 2024 that the Meta-owned platforms have faced an outage.
In March, Instagram, Facebook and Threads were down for several users, who complained of being logged out of their accounts. Some users mentioned being automatically logged out without the ability to log back in, and those utilising two-factor authentication faced difficulties receiving codes to finalise their log-ins. This problem had affected both the application and the website. (ANI)
Narendra Modi-led government’s new electric vehicle (EV) policy now paves the way for Musk to enter the Indian market…reports Asian Lite News
After the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government approved a new electric vehicle (EV) policy to attract investments in the EV space by global manufacturers, Tesla is reportedly sending a team this month to search for locations in the country for a $2-3 billion plant.
According to a report in The Financial Times on Wednesday, citing sources, the Elon Musk-run company “would send a team from the US by late April to study sites for the plant”.
The team would reportedly focus on states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu which have EV infrastructure in place as well as ports which makes it easier for the company “to export cars”.
Tesla did not comment on the report.
In the new EV policy, the government has reduced the customs duty to 15 per cent, with certain riders.
This now paves the way for Musk to enter the Indian market.
Last year, PM Modi met Musk in the US and appreciated his efforts at making technology accessible and affordable in various sectors.
The Prime Minister invited Musk to explore opportunities in India for investments in electric mobility and the rapidly expanding commercial space sector.
In the new EV scheme, the government mentioned that a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore (about $500 million) will be needed to set up manufacturing facilities and production started within three years and reach 25 per cent DVA (domestic value addition) by three years and 50 per cent DVA within 5 years at the maximum.
Meanwhile, minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that the government has plans to introduce electric buses in all Indian cities as well as some long routes such as Delhi-Shimla, Delhi-Chandigarh and Pune-Mumbai over the next five years.
In an interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, the minister also said that the decline in battery prices will lead to travellers saving 30 per cent on fares and help bring down pollution.
The minister pointed out that the cost of lithium-ion batteries has come down from $150 per kilowatt per hour to $112 as the segment has recorded a 350 per cent growth in the country.
“When this comes down to $100, the operating cost will be the same as that of petrol and diesel vehicles,” the union minister said. “If you spend Rs 20,000–25,000 on petrol vehicles in a month, you will incur only Rs 2,000 on electric vehicles,” he added.
EV manufacturing has gained pace in the country, with output rising across segments. “There are 400 electric scooter manufacturers (in India). We have manufacturers making electric scooters with a range of 60 km,” Gadkari said.
The minister’s comments come in backdrop of the Government’s approval for the scheme to promote India as a manufacturing destination of e-vehicles (EV). The policy is designed to attract investments in the e-vehicle space by reputed global EV manufacturers, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday.
The policy fixes a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore (∼USD 500 million) for foreign companies who want to set up electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in India. The scheme which aims to attract investments from leading EV manufacturers, such as Elon Musk-led Tesla, does not fix any upper limit on the investments.
The scheme also stipulates a 3 years timeline for setting up manufacturing facilities in India, and starting commercial production of EVs. It lays down that 50 per cent domestic value addition in manufacturing must be reached within 5 years at the maximum.
Companies setting up manufacturing facilities for EVs will be allowed limited imports of cars at lower custom duty as an incentive.
The lawsuit, initiated in 2020, was brought forth by Google account holders who alleged that the tech giant was unlawfully tracking their online activities through the private browsing feature…reports Asian Lite News
In a significant development regarding online privacy, Google has agreed to a proposed class action settlement, aiming to address concerns over the collection of web browsing data in its private browsing mode, known as ‘Incognito mode.’
Filed on Monday in the case of ‘Brown vs Google’, the settlement includes provisions for the destruction or de-identification of billions of records of web browsing data collected through Incognito mode, according to a report by The Verge.
The lawsuit, initiated in 2020, was brought forth by Google account holders who alleged that the tech giant was unlawfully tracking their online activities through the private browsing feature. The proposed settlement, valued at USD 5 billion, encompasses greater transparency measures from Google regarding its data collection practices in Incognito mode and imposes limits on future data-gathering efforts.
If approved by a federal judge in California, the settlement could impact approximately 136 million Google users. According to court filings, the USD 5 billion valuation reflects the value of the data Google would be required to eliminate or de-identify, along with the data it would be prohibited from collecting in the future.
As per The Verge, the plaintiffs stated in the proposed settlement filing that the “settlement ensures real accountability and transparency from the world’s largest data collector and marks an important step toward improving and upholding our right to privacy on the Internet.”
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda expressed satisfaction with the settlement, emphasizing the company’s belief in the meritless nature of the lawsuit. Castaneda clarified that despite the plaintiffs’ valuation of the settlement at USD 5 billion, they would not receive any monetary compensation. However, individuals retain the right to file claims for damages.
As part of the agreement reported by The Verge, Google commits to enhancing disclosures regarding the limitations of its private browsing services.
Furthermore, the company pledges to enable users to block third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode for five years, preventing Google from tracking users across external websites during private browsing sessions.
The settlement also permits individuals to pursue damages through claims filed in California state court, with 50 claims already submitted. Google asserts its commitment to user privacy, stating, “We never associate data with users when they use Incognito mode,” and affirming its readiness to delete outdated technical data unrelated to individual users.
With these developments, the settlement marks a significant stride towards bolstering user privacy rights and fostering greater accountability in the digital sphere. (ANI)
This came during His Highness’ visit today to the Bu Hasa oilfield where he met with Emirati ADNOC staff working at the field…reports Asian Lite News
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, said that the United Arab Emirates, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is at the forefront of leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI to drive sustainable growth and progress, particularly in the energy sector.
This came during His Highness’ visit today to the Bu Hasa oilfield where he met with Emirati ADNOC staff working at the field. He toured key facilities and operations, learning about the company’s efforts to leverage AI and advanced technologies for enhanced efficiency, productivity, and emissions reduction.
He was accompanied during the visit by Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Yas bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Nasser Mohammed Al Mansouri, Under-Secretary of the Ruler’s Representative’s Court in the Al Dhafra Region, and Issa Hamad Bushahab, Advisor to His Highness the Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, along with a number of officials.
“I’m delighted to learn about ADNOC’s ongoing efforts to solidify the UAE’s leadership in global energy security. Their commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 is commendable. By empowering Emirati talent and deploying advanced AI and digital solutions in the energy sector, ADNOC is ensuring increased production efficiency, reduced emissions, and optimal utilisation of our national resources,” said Sheikh Hamdan.
During his meeting with ADNOC’s national staff, His Highness conveyed to them the greetings of His Highness President Sheikh Mohamed, stressing on His Highness’s keenness to provide all means of success for them to ensure their active contribution to the path of growth and prosperity of the country. Sheikh Hamdan emphasised on the importance of Emirati women’s participation across various sectors, including the energy sector, highlighting their proven ability and success in tackling diverse tasks within this field.
He praised the pivotal role played by the Emirati female cadres working in the Bu Hasa field, where they contribute through their different positions to the implementation of ADNOC’s plans to enhance efficiency, raise productivity and reduce emissions through the use of AI applications and tools and advanced technologies.
Upon his arrival at the Bu Hasa field, Sheikh Hamdan was received by Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and the company’s executive management team.
ADNOC team presented Sheikh Hamdan with details on several strategic projects underway at the Bu Hasa field. These initiatives aim to achieve growth, enhance efficiency, and reduce emissions, notably the plans to increase production capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to over 790,000 barrels per day and to increase associated gas production from 650 million cubic feet per day to more than 800 million cubic feet per day by 2027.
This is in addition to strategic projects that include providing sustainable water supplies to the Bu Hasa and Bab fields. Other strategic projects include utilising treated seawater instead of groundwater in the Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, reducing energy consumption and emissions, and the project to employ water and gas injection technologies into reservoirs to enhance production. This is in addition to a proposed joint project to develop a bromine production facility, used in drilling fluids.
As part of this collaboration, selected Wipro employees will have full access to IISc faculty members, online lectures, libraries and alumni networks….reports Asian Lite news
Amid the government’s call to bridge the skill gap in emerging technologies, IT major Wipro on Thursday announced a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to offer eligible employees a higher education programme in artificial intelligence (AI).
The online Master’s in Technology (MTech) course will emphasise upon key areas such as AI, foundations of ML/AI, data science and business analytics, addressing the growing demand for skilled professionals in these domains, the company said in a statement.
“GenAI is evolving at a rapid pace, and we are confident that selected employees will gain immensely from the knowledge at IISc and develop capabilities for the opportunities ahead delivering strong business outcomes,” said Sanjeev Jain, SVP and Global Head, Business Operations, Wipro.
As part of this collaboration, selected Wipro employees will have full access to IISc faculty members, online lectures, libraries and alumni networks.
They will also benefit from mentorship by seasoned professionals from the data, analytics and AI practice at Wipro.
The acceptance of the programme will be subject to rigorous entrance tests and evaluations designed by IISc, said the company.
“The programme curriculum for working professionals has been designed with the same high standards as our full-time programmes, with our faculty members delivering content online to train students on foundational concepts and real-world applications,” said Professor Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of EECS, IISc.
Considering that more than 60 countries, including India, are entering election mode this year, it is vital that we remain vigilant on recent trends in the dynamic digital landscape, especially deepfakes, says Ivana Bartoletti, Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer at Wipro.
With the widespread use of generative AI, we face a new and concerning threat: deepfakes.
“Deepfakes have become accessible to everyone, posing a significant risk as these manipulations allow the creation and dissemination of realistic audio and video content featuring individuals saying and doing things they never actually said or did,” emphasised Bartoletti, also the founder of the ‘Women Leading in AI Network’.
The consequences extend beyond the digital realm, as online disinformation and coordination can spill over into real-world violence.
In India, the government has issued an update to its AI advisory, saying that the big digital companies do not need the government’s permission anymore before launching any AI model in the country.
However, big tech companies are advised to label “under-tested and unreliable AI models to inform users of their potential fallibility or unreliability.”
“Under-tested/unreliable Artificial Intelligence foundational models)/ LLM/Generative Al, software(s) or algorithm(s) or further development on such models should be made available to users in India only after appropriately labelling the possible inherent fallibility or unreliability of the output generated,” according to the new MeitY advisory.
All intermediaries or platforms must ensure that the use of AI models /LLM/Generative AI, software or algorithms “does not permit its users to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any unlawful content as outlined in Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules or violate any other provision of the IT Act.”
The digital platforms have been asked to comply with new AI guidelines with immediate effect.
According to Bartoletti, to ensure public safety, companies must take responsibility and implement measures to combat deepfakes and disinformation.
“This includes investing in advanced detection technologies to identify and flag deepfake content, as well as collaborating with experts to develop effective debunking methods,” she noted.
Additionally, promoting media literacy and critical thinking among the public is crucial.
“By taking proactive steps to address the risks of deepfakes, we can protect the integrity of elections and uphold the democratic process,” said Bartoletti.
This investment accounts for 65 percent of LG Group’s annual global investment…reports Asian Lite News
LG Group said on Wednesday it will invest 100 trillion won ($74.4 billion) in South Korea by 2028 to sharpen future technologies and seek new growth drivers.
Unveiled at the group’s annual shareholders meeting in Seoul, the long- and mid-term investment plan places an emphasis on advancing future technologies, including artificial intelligence, bio and clean tech, and pivotal business sectors, such as battery technology, auto parts, and next-generation displays, according to LG Group.
This investment accounts for 65 percent of LG Group’s annual global investment, reflecting the company’s commitment to driving innovation and fostering growth in its home market, it added, reports Yonhap news agency.
The company said some 55 percent of the planned investment will be allocated to research and development (R&D) initiatives aimed at establishing South Korea as a premier hub for innovation in key materials and manufacturing processes, including the development of smart factories.
“We will closely monitor the changes in the industries around us and create a solid business structure that can perform under any circumstances by strengthening the intrinsic competitiveness of the entire business,” LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo was quoted as saying.
LG Corp., the holding company of LG Group, posted 7.4 trillion won in sales and 1.6 trillion won in operating profit last year
Meanwhile, LG Electronics said on Tuesday it has made a $60 million strategic investment in Silicon Valley-based startup Bear Robotics in a move to strengthen its business capabilities in the booming market of artificial intelligence-based service robots.
Under a new stock purchase agreement, LG Electronics will become the largest single shareholder in the US startup specialising in AI-driven autonomous service robots.
“Rather than seeking short-term returns, this strategic investment is aimed at bolstering LG Electronics’ portfolio for long-term growth,” the company said in a statement.
Founded in 2017 by former Google’s software engineer John Ha, Bear Robotics offers AI-powered indoor delivery robot services in the United States, South Korea and Japan, reports Yonhap news agency.
The startup is well known for its expertise in platformising service robotics software, robot fleet management technology and cloud-based control solutions.
LG Electronics said the latest investment is also in line with its long-term strategy to transition from a hardware-centric to a software-oriented company, following its exit from the mobile phone manufacturing business in 2021.
The move is also part of a broader strategy outlined by LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan in January, which emphasized exploring investments or mergers and acquisitions within the service robotics market.
LG Electronics has already taken steps into this promising sector, operating a guide robot service at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, since 2017 and introducing delivery and disinfection solutions for diverse commercial settings.
The global service robotics market is anticipated to grow from $36.2 billion in 2021 to $103.3 billion by 2026, according to LG Electronics.
The partnership between Starburst Accelerator SARL and IIT Madras will see the establishment of accelerator programs geared towards boosting the ASD ecosystem in India…reports Asian Lite News
French firm Starburst Accelerator Societe a responsabilite limitee (SARL) has joined forces with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to establish an innovative start-up hub with a substantial funding of 100 Million Euros, in a development for India’s aerospace and defence (ASD) sector.
This collaboration aims to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the aviation, space, and defence domains within India.
The partnership between Starburst Accelerator SARL and IIT Madras will see the establishment of accelerator programs geared towards boosting the ASD ecosystem in India.
According to IIT Madras, Starburst intends to create venture capital funds specifically tailored for ASD technology, aiming to catalyse India’s economic transformation and its integration into global markets.
The collaboration is poised to facilitate export promotion and provide support for Indian ASD startups to venture into international markets leveraging Starburst’s extensive global network.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) cementing this collaboration was signed at the IIT Madras campus, with Francois Chopard, Founder and CEO of Starburst Aerospace, Cedric Vallet, Innovation and Venture Director of Starburst Aerospace, Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, and Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (ICSR) of IIT Madras, among others, in attendance.
Starburst Accelerator SARL is renowned globally for its aerospace and defence accelerator programs, connecting startups with corporates, investors, and government entities.
With a presence in major global cities including Los Angeles, Paris, Munich, Singapore, Seoul, Tel Aviv, and Madrid, Starburst boasts a vast ecosystem comprising over 17,000 startups.
Leveraging its extensive network and industry expertise, Starburst aims to fortify India’s position as a hub for ASD innovation on the global stage through this collaboration.
Expressing enthusiasm about the partnership, Francois Chopard emphasized its potential to accelerate technological innovations in India’s aerospace and defence sectors.
Chopard said, “We believe it is the right momentum to faster emergence of pioneer boundary-pushing technological innovations in India. We’re proud and honoured to collaborate with IIT-Madras and work with such prestigious institution in the country.”
He added, “We together aim at creating a robust ASD ecosystem that support innovation in Deeptech, and the production in India, to meet the future challenges of Aerospace, New Space and Defence worldwide players”
He highlighted the collaboration’s focus on fostering a robust ASD ecosystem conducive to innovation and production within India, aligning with the future needs of the aerospace and defence industry worldwide.
Professor V Kamakoti, Director IIT Madras, underscored the importance of nurturing young entrepreneurs to drive India’s journey towards becoming a multi-trillion-dollar economy.
He emphasized the role of esteemed educational institutions like IIT Madras in nurturing startups, particularly in critical and emerging sectors, through collaborations with accelerators.
Kamakoti said, “Encouraging young entrepreneurs is extremely important as we embark on our journey to become a multi-trillion economy. To this effect, reputed higher educational institutions must aspire to nurture future employers than employees. In this context, such collaborations with accelerators to nurture startups in critical and emerging sectors are crucial and timely.”
As part of the initiative, Starburst will deploy a consulting team comprising IIT Madras alumni, experienced military officers, ASD managers, and senior consultants from its offices to assist startups in scaling up their operations.
The collaboration aims to provide startups with access to resources, expertise, and networks necessary for rapid growth and global commercialization.
Structured programs combining academic knowledge with practical guidance will be designed to support Indian startup clusters and research projects.
These programs will equip startups with essential business tools, facilitate access to external capital, and accelerate their development in the aerospace and defence sectors. (ANI)
In the Age of Information brought in by Information Technology, knowledge-based decision-making became the first priority of all business enterprises, writes D.C. Pathak
The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has boosted the cause of business in many ways. It has speeded up the process of strategy formulation that derived new strength from a rapid analysis of comprehensive and relevant data relating to the past and the present.
It has also enabled businesses to deal with the new level of competitiveness that exists in today’s world, on the basis of an in-depth study of other players in the field as well as of the intricacies of the business environment.
Finally, AI is setting new benchmarks in human resource management in the matter of reconstituting teams to focus on creating new products and services and ensuring timelines of delivery.
In the Age of Information brought in by Information Technology, knowledge-based decision-making became the first priority of all business enterprises and towards that objective, arrangements were made to collate and analyse a given set of parameters for defining the future vision of the business entity to be achieved within a timeframe.
The scope of Business Intelligence has been infinitely enlarged by AI which is a tool for quickly examining an unprecedented amount of raw data and collated facts, analysing all risk factors and opportunities and producing a set of reliable-looking predictions. The AI-assisted analytics covers a volume of data that was humanly impossible to handle in one go. This has pushed decision-making to a level of near perfection in a competitive environment.
The potential of AI in strategic decision-making, however, yields the best results when it is used for augmenting human Intelligence with data-driven insights and operational efficiency.
AI puts the process of decision-making on a stronger footing by making it an evidence-based determination. Further, AI introduces an element of neutrality and objectivity and minimises the scope of biases creeping into that process.
AI has opened up the world of start-ups and helped to provide a level playing field to those who can “read the future better” and while pursuing a line of business, find an opportunity that had gone undetected earlier.
Application of AI-aided examination of information available in the public domain leads to a good assessment of the competitor’s behaviour as well as the industry dynamics.
Analysis of vast datasets through the application of AI can unearth patterns and trends that throw light on the modus operandi of a rival that was not visible to the human eye and which could be put to good use in a competitive setting.
Even while leveraging historical data, AI can read areas of success of a competitor and determine the scope for improvement there far more accurately thus creating a competitive advantage.
The more comprehensive the data, the better the outcome of the AI application.
It is possible to roll out new GenAI-based products and services to bring more value to investors and customers. AI-aided skills are extensively used now for profile writing, creating engaging headlines and understanding natural language for putting across the work being done by the business enterprise.
The use of AI in critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication, is now well established.
Automated tasks are another developing area of corporate activity that is being put to good use.
As already mentioned, AI is proving indispensable for predictive analytics. Simulating market conditions and their probable outcomes accrued through advance scenario planning and risk assessment, is becoming a trendsetter.
In the arena of human resource development, work starts with the use of AI to improve the recruitment process itself. AI skills are needed in jobs requiring communication, analysis and sales promotion.
In content creation, it is found that more important than the time spent on writing is the time utilised for interactions and networking for the purpose of enhancing outreach and accessing new knowledge.
Upskilling is required since nearly half of the jobs in India are going to be affected by AI — fortunately, professionals in India are already using AI skills more than what was the case anywhere else globally.
AI offers a new level of personalisation of customer needs, helps the process of development of new products and facilitates the adoption of entirely new ways of sales promotion. Business enterprises need manpower that is attuned to working with others, finding solutions to the problem at hand and using critical thinking.
The new skills are also put to good use in evolving work-life balance that AI-based tasks could demand. One of the top challenges is to prepare a GenAI-ready workforce. One impediment to this is the shortage of expertise in the emerging tech streams such as cloud computing.
There are limited programmes for GenAI skills in the university curricula. Business corporates have to think of building the capabilities of their workforce in terms of technical skills through a tailored training programme on GenAI. This programme has to be based on enterprise-specific or even team-specific goals.
Professionals across operations, marketing, finance etc require basic familiarisation with GenAI to decide how to effectively leverage GenAI tools to improve ‘productivity’.
AI developers need to be nurtured to understand the science behind ‘deep learning’ and make the choice to pick the right models. Advanced teams may be needed to develop niche expertise in product engineering.
Even at the leadership level specific GenAI programmes have to be devised to enhance the trickle-down effect in creating motivation and ambition across the hierarchies. These are also needed for strategy formulation and possible policy amendments that could be required for better implementation.
Today, an understanding of Learning & Development (L&D) and Large Language Models (LLMs) and their importance in business is needed at the leadership level itself.
The main point of understanding and acceptance by the leadership is that AI’s first impact on business was to enable the enterprise to reduce cost and increase the efficiency of its operations so that there was better ROI resulting from the value-add created by AI.
In a nutshell, AI primarily works through data and analytics to help companies to build new products and services and to enhance their customer base.
Machine learning automation is assisting human resource management in screening resumes and scheduling interviews. Screening enables the management to match applicants for positions requiring knowledge, experience and special skills for the job.
Targeted and personalised promotion campaigns are also helped by AI. A simple illustration is ‘machine learning’ that notes the difference between a customer who scans information for high-end eating places and then searches for clothes online and a customer who is only searching for clothes. In the first case, AI lays out fashion garments while in the other case, it would offer a range covering different categories.
Decision-making is one of the most important areas depending a great deal on AI because the latter can scrutinise large databases on customer preferences, text images and videos that are made for knowledge-based decisions- considered so important for standing against the competition. Supply chain management, security enhancement and customer experience data are among the basic advantages that AI-aided programs could provide.
Above all, India is quite aware of the promises and perils of AI and that is why it has asked tech firms to seek government approval before releasing under trial or unreliable AI tools and to caution the customers that the programme may not be able to answer every query of the user.
AI tools should be used with the basic understanding that they are governed by the input-output principle and that any predictive analytics provided by them rested on the detection of patterns and keywords in an unusually large database. Best results therefore are achieved when human intelligence works in conjunction with data-driven insights.
(The writer is former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal)
Generative AI (GenAI) will continue to accelerate AI adoption in India with more leading organisations exploring or investing in GenAI use cases…reports Asian Lite News
IT spending in India for 2024 is expected to grow 11 per cent year-on-year (YoY), reaching $44 billion, an International Data Corporation (IDC) report said on Thursday.
As India’s digital economy continues to thrive in 2024 and beyond, IDC expects IT spending in the country to accelerate at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.9 per cent over the coming years to cross the $59 billion mark in 2027, with the software market consistently showing double digit growth across the forecasted years.
Generative AI (GenAI) will continue to accelerate AI adoption in India with more leading organisations exploring or investing in GenAI use cases.
As technology leaders realise AI’s pivotal role in their digital-first strategies, the report forecasts that investments on GenAI by 2027 will be 26 per cent of the overall AI spend in the country or a CAGR of 101.6 per cent.
“India Inc.’s shift to digital continues unabated as enterprises march aggressively towards an ‘AI Everywhere’ future. We can clearly see this in the growth of AI investments from Indian enterprises,” said Vasant Rao, Managing Director, IDC India and South Asia.
In 2023, despite economic headwinds and uncertainty, Indian enterprises continued to invest in digital technology to increase customer engagement and satisfaction, launch new products and services, and improve operational efficiency to drive revenue growth and profitability.
“They allocated their budgets mainly to software, application development and Cloud migrations, a reflection of their judiciousness to make their hardware assets work longer and elongating refresh cycles,” the report noted.
Meanwhile, about 95 per cent of Indian CIOs believe that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is key for business in 2024, according to a report on Thursday.
The report by International Data Corporation, commissioned by Lenovo surveyed over 900 CIOs, including more than 150 in India.
It reveals that organisations in Asia-Pacific are planning to increase AI spending by 45 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.
“CIOs in India are most confident about AI, with 95 per cent expressing certainty that it will create a competitive advantage, and 57 per cent of them consider it to be a game changer for their organisations,” said Amit Luthra, MD -Inid India, Lenovo ISG, in a statement.
“Higher investments in GenAI and machine learning followed by deep learning systems, underscore their desire to elevate operational efficiency, security, decision-making processes, and customer experiences,” he added.
Further, a key trend for Indian CIOs in 2024 includes investments in GenAI (28 per cent). The report showed that AI has significantly influenced top technologies including cybersecurity and threat detection, intelligent automation and robotics, and automation for enhanced efficiency in the country.
However, adoption challenges such as high dependence on third-party support (55 per cent) and security (51 per cent) were found as top concerns for Indian CIOs. Some were also concerned over job security (62 per cent) as well as lack of adequate IT support in automation deployment (64 per cent).
The report also showed that 84 per cent of CIOs in India are already using AI to enhance their security framework with 14 per cent planning to invest.
