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NDTV
21-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Coastal Charm To Tech Ambition: Goa Rolls Out AI Mission 2027
Panaji: The Pramod Sawant government has rolled out Goa AI Mission 2027, a visionary roadmap to build an inclusive and future-ready Artificial Intelligence ecosystem, officials said. The mission, a bold leap from Goa's laid-back coastal charm to cutting-edge tech ambition, aims to empower people, enhance governance and spark innovation across sectors, placing the state firmly on the digital transformation map, they said. In a recently held meeting, Chief Minister Sawant and state Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte appealed to stakeholders to work towards drafting the AI Mission 2027, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. Nearly 350 Information Technology companies and startups are operating in Goa, as per data from the IT department. Goa Information and Technology Director Kabir Shirgaonkar told PTI Videos that the state government's AI mission is derived from the Centre's ambitious India AI Mission. "We intend to meet various objectives through this mission, and one of them is create an inclusive and future-friendly AI ecosystem to empower citizens, enhance governance and support innovation across sectors," he said. The government's predominant focus under the Goa AI Mission 2027 would be on setting up Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) to increase compute capacity, Shirgaonkar said. "There's also the concept of an AI Coach. When talking about AI, datasets are very important. The Government of Goa will play an active role in preparing datasets, as you all know, the government possesses a vast amount of data, and these datasets will be critical when working with AI," he said. Shirgaonkar said the ethical use of AI will also be a major focus area as the Goa government moves forward. "Some of the major highlights of the Goa AI Mission include the formulation of a Goa AI Policy," he said, adding the AI Advisory Council has already been formulated. "The AI Advisory Council, a multi-stakeholder body, aims to provide strategic direction and ensure consistent implementation across domains. So, the first step is the formation of the council, followed by drafting of the Goa AI Policy," he explained. Shirgaonkar further said the focus will also include AI education, the setting up of Goa AI Labs, and the development of a Konkani Large Language Model (LLM). "As you know, language models are essential, and developing a Konkani LLM will be one of our key priorities. We aim to use AI to preserve and promote Goa's cultural and linguistic heritage through this locally built LLM in Konkani," he said. Specifically, the Goa AI Mission will rest on four core pillars -- skilling, startups and companies, capital, and government and infrastructure, the official said. "Under the 'skilling' pillar, we will target colleges and schools to ensure that AI education is integrated at all levels so that our future generation is AI-ready," he said. Amarsh Chaturvedi, co-founder of Neural Private Ltd in Panaji, said his is an AI first startup, working with enterprises to help scale their AI initiators with ease and comfort. "We are also glad to be a part of the AI state mission in Goa, which is one of the pioneering initiatives in the country," he added. Goa is one of the "very, very few states in the country" which is looking at AI and making the state ready for the future in technology, Chaturvedi said. He said the Goa AI Mission 2027 also aims at bringing together academia, industry, startups and the government to fulfil multiple objectives. "The first one being making the population of Goa AI ready, and this also entails skilling and reskilling people to work with AI, not just as users, but also creators," he said. The mission also includes building the core infrastructure to carry out foundational research, not just physical infrastructure, but digital infrastructure that could entail collaboration of academia in Goa with universities elsewhere in the world, Chaturvedi said. "So, from a holistic perspective, the intent is right and the steps that are being planned to undertake and fulfil the objectives of this mission are also in the right place," he added. Milind Prabhu, CEO of Genora Infotech Pvt Ltd, Goa, said he was very happy to hear about the state government's initiative. It is a great initiative as Goa is a preferred place for innovative work to be done and AI is the next tech innovation that is happening, he said. "So, it's a great thing that we are focusing on it," Prabhu added.
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Business Standard
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Goa govt rolls out AI Mission 2027 to boost governance and innovation
The Pramod Sawant government has rolled out Goa AI Mission 2027, a visionary roadmap to build an inclusive and future-ready Artificial Intelligence ecosystem, officials said. The mission, a bold leap from Goa's laid-back coastal charm to cutting-edge tech ambition, aims to empower people, enhance governance and spark innovation across sectors, placing the state firmly on the digital transformation map, they said. In a recently held meeting, Chief Minister Sawant and state Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte appealed to stakeholders to work towards drafting the AI Mission 2027, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. Nearly 350 Information Technology companies and startups are operating in Goa, as per data from the IT department. Goa Information and Technology Director Kabir Shirgaonkar told PTI Videos that the state government's AI mission is derived from the Centre's ambitious India AI Mission. "We intend to meet various objectives through this mission, and one of them is create an inclusive and future-friendly AI ecosystem to empower citizens, enhance governance and support innovation across sectors," he said. The government's predominant focus under the Goa AI Mission 2027 would be on setting up Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) to increase compute capacity, Shirgaonkar said. "There's also the concept of an AI Coach. When talking about AI, datasets are very important. The Government of Goa will play an active role in preparing datasets, as you all know, the government possesses a vast amount of data, and these datasets will be critical when working with AI," he said. Shirgaonkar said the ethical use of AI will also be a major focus area as the Goa government moves forward. "Some of the major highlights of the Goa AI Mission include the formulation of a Goa AI Policy," he said, adding the AI Advisory Council has already been formulated. "The AI Advisory Council, a multi-stakeholder body, aims to provide strategic direction and ensure consistent implementation across domains. So, the first step is the formation of the council, followed by drafting of the Goa AI Policy," he explained. Shirgaonkar further said the focus will also include AI education, the setting up of Goa AI Labs, and the development of a Konkani Large Language Model (LLM). "As you know, language models are essential, and developing a Konkani LLM will be one of our key priorities. We aim to use AI to preserve and promote Goa's cultural and linguistic heritage through this locally built LLM in Konkani," he said. Specifically, the Goa AI Mission will rest on four core pillars -- skilling, startups and companies, capital, and government and infrastructure, the official said. "Under the 'skilling' pillar, we will target colleges and schools to ensure that AI education is integrated at all levels so that our future generation is AI-ready," he said. Amarsh Chaturvedi, co-founder of Neural Private Ltd in Panaji, said his is an AI first startup, working with enterprises to help scale their AI initiators with ease and comfort. "We are also glad to be a part of the AI state mission in Goa, which is one of the pioneering initiatives in the country," he added. Goa is one of the "very, very few states in the country" which is looking at AI and making the state ready for the future in technology, Chaturvedi said. He said the Goa AI Mission 2027 also aims at bringing together academia, industry, startups and the government to fulfil multiple objectives. "The first one being making the population of Goa AI ready, and this also entails skilling and reskilling people to work with AI, not just as users, but also creators," he said. The mission also includes building the core infrastructure to carry out foundational research, not just physical infrastructure, but digital infrastructure that could entail collaboration of academia in Goa with universities elsewhere in the world, Chaturvedi said. "So, from a holistic perspective, the intent is right and the steps that are being planned to undertake and fulfil the objectives of this mission are also in the right place," he added. Milind Prabhu, CEO of Genora Infotech Pvt Ltd, Goa, said he was very happy to hear about the state government's initiative. It is a great initiative as Goa is a preferred place for innovative work to be done and AI is the next tech innovation that is happening, he said. "So, it's a great thing that we are focussing on it," Prabhu added.
Irish Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
How many regulators does it take to completely stifle Ireland's AI innovation?
Much of the talk at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence meeting on Tuesday centred on finding the balance between controlling the risks and harnessing the potential of AI within Ireland's regulatory framework. 'We can't afford to stand still,' Patricia Scanlon of the AI Advisory Council told members of the Oireachtas, going on to repeatedly stress the importance of 'implementing serious regulatory reforms' and avoiding having a 'fragmented response' to AI. The regulatory response to this new technology is critical, the Oireachtas repeatedly heard. In Leinster House, a building in which phrases such as 'joined-up thinking' and 'co-ordinated response' echo around the halls, it was notable to hear the experts say there are eight separate regulatory bodies over AI in Ireland. READ MORE Based on work by the Department of Enterprise on the rollout of the EU-wide Artificial Intelligence Act, there will be a 'complex' web of 'cross-sectoral regulation' due to how vast an area the regulation will cover. 'There are actually going to be eight competent authorities or regulators under the Act,' Prof Deirdre Aherne, law professor at Trinity College Dublin and a member of the AI Advisory Council, told the committee. Fear not, however, that there may be too many cooks. These regulatory bodies will also co-ordinate with other bodies that have sectoral expertise. Added on top of that 'distributed' regulatory model, the committee heard, will be a 'co-ordinating body' that will look to manage the overlaps between the bodies. Ireland's regulatory framework will then feed into an EU-wide approach to the new technology's adoption. Furthermore, in its recent paper on digital innovation, the business lobbying group Ibec identified 'at least 30 different State entities and 10 plans that can influence the direction of Ireland's digital and AI ambitions'. It noted one Cabinet committee, six departments, three Oireachtas committees, 10 departmental plans and 20 agencies that have various responsibilities related to implementing different aspects of the EU digital rule book. It all begs the question: will eight separate regulators, 30 State agencies and 10 plans be enough to stifle Ireland's AI innovation? Perhaps the State's response to AI needs more joined-up thinking at the helm, more opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration and synergistic thinking, and maybe even one more regulatory body.
Irish Examiner
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Software engineers and customer service agents will be first to lose jobs to AI, Oireachtas to hear
Software engineers, junior lawyers, and customer service roles will be among the first in Ireland to be affected by job losses to artificial intelligence, experts on the AI Advisory Council predict. Members of the council, made up of 15 independent experts who advise the Government on Ireland's AI strategy, appeared before the Oireachtas AI Committee on Tuesday. It heard the even moderate workforce reductions could collectively lead to "noticeable increases" in unemployment. "We cannot predict the exact pace, scale, or whether new jobs will replace those lost," AI Advisory Council chairwoman Patricia Scanlon said. When asked if he could predict what would be the first jobs to be hit in Ireland, council member and Jentic founder and CEO Sean Blanchfield said he believed it would be in software engineering, 'ironically enough'. 'Naturally enough, people in my industry are taking this technology and applying it to the first market they know, which is themselves.' 'That's real, and that's current." Entry level programming jobs are largely being replaced by AI now, he added. Certainly, among the leading companies. The job of the software engineers has moved up to more software 'architect'. I think if you speak to lawyers, you find the same things happening in law firms. Those are two obvious examples. The quality of AI technology is improving 'month after month', he added. 'Palpably. We can see it in our own company.' "These are intense, information-work jobs. If it's possible to automate the work of a software developer or a junior lawyer, you can automate a lot of things. ' Customer service would be another example of this, he added. Professor Deirdre Ahern, member of the AI council and professor in law at Trinity College Dublin, cautioned that cuts to junior roles due to AI could have further impacts. 'We mightn't have as many but we still need people who are able to interrogate outputs, etc. It's not that the jobs are gone, but it's just maybe there may be less of them.' Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh said it was interesting to hear members of the council say we can't predict the next five years. Five years ago, when we were talking about AI and robots, we didn't predict it was going to be the highly educated engineers that would be losing jobs first. Bronagh Riordan of EY, who chairs CeADAR, Ireland's national AI centre, added there is another side to this, as AI also free up time through automation. One example of this is healthcare, she said. 'You can automate repetitive tasks, and you can free up more of the time for healthcare experts to help our society.' Ms Scanlon told the committee Ireland is at a 'critical juncture' when it comes to AI. 'The choices we make now determine whether we shape this future or are shaped by it.' She also called for an 'AI Observatory', a national system tracking real-time impacts on jobs and skills as they happen. "Without it, we're navigating tomorrow's changes with yesterday's map."
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
AI involves ‘arms race betweeen nations' with ‘no easy option for Ireland', committee hears
Artificial Intelligence involves an 'arms race between nations' in which there are 'no easy options' for Ireland, an Oireachtas committee has heard. Members of the Government-appointed AI Advisory Council, a voluntary body that includes academics, business people and others with expertise in the field told politicians there are potential costs associated with Ireland seeking to be an international leader in the rapidly emerging field, including the area of energy and climate. They said these needed to be weighed against potential future losses to the State if it is left behind by international rivals, however, at a time when Government revenues may need to be maximised to deal with a significant number of people whose jobs are made redundant by the technology. Asked about how a decision to limit the number of data centres built in Ireland in the future or decisions to prevent future developments might impact on Ireland's ability to benefit from AI developments, the chief executive of a firm called Jentic said a key challenge for Ireland is to accelerate its development of renewable energy generation. READ MORE 'If we want to participate in the supply chain of the future at that level, we need to figure out our energy,' Sean Blanchfield told members of the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. 'I don't think the data centres will be the controversial part if we have an abundance of energy, but I think we already have reached the end of our line in terms of how many data centres we as an economy are willing to build based on fossil fuels. 'So the question is really, what can we do to fix our energy infrastructure so that we can potentially participate in the future economy by helping run the AI and thereby sustain some kind of tax base in the future when we might very sorely need it after it displaces some labour.' The AI Advisory Council members, including its chair, Dr Patricia Scanlon, said new technologies will present enormous opportunities for society and individuals in areas like education and healthcare, but it is impossible to estimate how many jobs might be created. Mr Blanchfield said some job losses are already apparent. 'I think there's potential for massive economic disruption from AI,' he said. Data centre development was a potential positive, he suggested, if Ireland can address the energy issue 'because we have excelled at hosting data centres up until recently relative to our size. So we have the established expertise to do that.' But pressed on when the negative impact of AI on the employment landscape might start to be felt, he said the process was already under way. 'People in my industry are taking this technology and applying it to the first market they know, which is themselves. That's real, that's current,' he said. 'Entry-level programming jobs are largely replaced by AI now, certainly among the leading companies, and the job of the software engineers has moved up to more software architecture. I think if you speak to many lawyers, you find the same things happening in law firms.' With the technology advancing on a continuous basis, he suggested: 'If it's possible to automate the work of a software developer or a junior lawyer, you can automate a lot of things. It's just a question of repackaging that technology in due course. I think another one would be the customer service.' Ms Scanlon told the committee difficult choices would have to be made and she was 'not an AI advocate at all costs'. But asked the question what the cost to the country would have been of failing to engage with the development of the internet, she said, 'I think we need to invest resources'. 'We need task forces, we need experts, we need to collaborate with our European colleagues to solve this in a way that means Europe, Ireland, don't lose out or fall behind or become beholden to the US or Chinese governments, that we're not taking other people's AI because they didn't slow down. It's not easy, but it's a balancing act we have to face up to.'
