Latest news with #AIReadinessAssessmentMethodology
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
UNESCO, MeitY launch exercise to assess India's AI readiness
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), and law firm Ikigai Law (as the implementing partner) have launched a diagnostic exercise to assess India's artificial intelligence (AI) readiness. The exercise will involve UNESCO's AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), a multi-dimensional tool aligned with the global standards set per the UN agency's 2021 recommendation on the Ethics of AI. The RAM, an extensive questionnaire, will assess India's AI preparedness in legal, socio-cultural, scientific and educational, economic, and technical/infrastructure aspects. Five consultations, each featuring breakout sessions on AI ethics, have been held over seven months as part of the process. A final stakeholder consultation was held in Delhi on Tuesday. People familiar with the matter said participants highlighted the lack of a unified data-sharing policy across states, the Centre, and private players, the lack of data interoperability, and the importance of being cautious with AI outputs. There was consensus that AI cannot function independently of intellectual property. A person aware of the discussions said models such as ChatGPT blur the lines between public domain and copyrighted material, prompting calls to revisit copyright law designed for the print era. The exercise will culminate in a report highlighting what is working, what is missing, and what can be done better by the year-end. 'The report will help us outline a strategy towards a safe, trustworthy, and responsible AI,' said MeitY additional secretary and India AI Mission CEO Abhishek Singh. He added that the exercise is meant to promote a pro-innovation approach with light-touch regulation focused on preventing user harm. Singh said four Indian startups have been selected to build foundation models tailored to local needs. He cited efforts to boost compute capacity to 34,000 GPUs and expand access to datasets through the AI Kosha platform. Ten countries have completed RAM reports. The assessment is underway in 72 others to identify gaps and opportunities in AI readiness, said UNESCO's Eunsong Kim. 'India is quite a unique story in the RAM conversation, because it is vast and diverse. It is also extremely vibrant in the AI ecosystem,' said Kim. Kim explained how the RAM reports benefited other nations, citing Chile's case, where the exercise improved cybersecurity, data protection, and digital policy. The process led to an AI task force and a national AI action plan in Indonesia, which is creating its RAM report. Experts cautioned that India's unique social and cultural complexities demand a deeper, more localised understanding, even as the RAM exercise offers a structured global framework. 'I do not think we fully understand the socio-economic impact AI will have on a country like India,' said Indian Institute of Technology Madras Centre for Responsible AI head B Ravindran. 'We talk about bias mitigation and explainability, often through a Western lens. But bias in India is far more complex than in the US. It is not just black and white, but every shade in between. And we have not systematically recorded that.'
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Indias approach to AI regulation is pro-innovation: IndiaAI CEO
New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) India's approach to AI has been pro-innovation with an aim to build applications that are responsible, safe, and that make a difference to the lives of common people, IndiaAI CEO Abhishek Singh said on Tuesday. Singh, who is also the Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), was speaking during the 5th and final Stakeholder Consultation on the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India. You may be interested in "India's approach has been pro-innovation. Our approach has been to have light-touch regulation with the objective of preventing harm... preventing user harm. "India's strategy for AI, is to build AI in India, make AI work for India and build AI applications that are truly responsible, safe, trustworthy, and that make a difference to the lives of common people," he said. Singh highlighted the extensive consultations held across India in cities like -- Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Bangalore -- to tailor the UNESCO-developed readiness assessment methodology to India's unique AI ecosystem. The goal, he said, is to ensure that AI solutions are inclusive, ethical, and meet real needs, especially for healthcare and agriculture at the last mile. "We can have high-end compute to support with. We can have language APIs to support with. But ultimately we need to build it in such a way that the solutions are fair, solutions are ethical and they meet real needs," Singh said. He noted that Indian AI startups are working on foundational models, and AI compute investments are growing, but also cautioned that the focus must shift from discussions and conferences to concrete actions that align the entire ecosystem toward responsible AI deployment.
Mint
3 days ago
- General
- Mint
Inclusivity in AI foundational, not optional: UNESCOs Tim Curtis
New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) Inclusivity in AI is not optional but foundational for a country as vast and diverse as India, where systems must be designed from the start to reflect the nation's immense social, economic, and linguistic diversity, UNESCO South Asia Regional Office Director Tim Curtis said on Tuesday. Curtis, speaking at the 5th and final Stakeholder Consultation on the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in the national capital, warned that if AI tools are not intentionally built to serve the full spectrum of users, including marginalized communities, they risk leaving millions behind. "In a country as vast and complex as India, (with) not only 1.4 billion people, but with thousands of languages and immense social, economic and regional diversity, inclusivity in AI is not optional, it is foundational," Curtis said. He pointed out that AI systems trained primarily on English or urban data can struggle with local languages, dialects, and contexts, leading to the exclusion of vast populations from digital services. These are not just technical bugs, he explained, but symptoms of deeper structural exclusions in data collection and prioritization. He stressed that inclusivity in AI means making deliberate choices about who is represented in datasets, who participates in development, and whose needs drive deployment. Curtis highlighted the importance of "ethics by design," arguing that responsible AI must be built on values as much as on functionality. "If we want AI systems to be inclusive, we must design them that way from the start, encompassing not just functionality, but essential values. And when we don't, we begin to see consequences, not as abstract risks, but as real-world limitations," Curtis said. Risks such as privacy violations, disinformation, and bias can arise from algorithmic decisions made without transparency or oversight, he said.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Guwahati to host AI event on May 9
Guwahati: The Union ministry of electronics and information technology ( MEITY ) in partnership with , along with Ikigai Law as a partner, will organise a consultation event on ' AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM)' at Assam Administrative Staff College, here on May 9. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The event will be the 4th AI RAM event in the country out of five, which have been previously organised in New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The upcoming event will mostly focus on shaping the country's policy making in AI. Guwahati: The Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MEITY) in partnership with UNESCO, along with Ikigai Law as a partner, will organise a consultation event on 'AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM)' at Assam Administrative Staff College, here on May 9. The event will be the 4th AI RAM event in the country out of five, which have been previously organised in New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The upcoming event will mostly focus on shaping the country's policy making in AI.
Daily News Egypt
17-02-2025
- Science
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt hosts AI Readiness Assessment Methodology consultation
The Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has launched a consultation on Egypt's Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) for artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative evaluates Egypt's preparedness for adopting AI sustainably and responsibly while supporting national policies and strategies in this vital field. The first national consultation sessions for stakeholders have commenced, focusing on four key areas where AI plays a pivotal role: policies and legislation, cultural and social domains, scientific research and infrastructure, and the economic sector. These sessions include participation from diverse stakeholders and experts, including representatives from the public and private sectors, academia, civil society, and young entrepreneurs. Egypt's participation in the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology launched by UNESCO reflects its commitment to deploying AI responsibly across all sectors. This approach aligns with UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, ensuring that all state sectors benefit from AI's transformative potential while maintaining a balance between accelerating innovation, supporting sustainable development goals, and addressing ethical and technical challenges. UNESCO collaborates with the Egyptian government to evaluate and enhance the resilience of laws, policies, and institutions related to AI implementation. This cooperation ensures AI systems align with the values and principles outlined in UNESCO's AI ethics recommendation. In his opening speech, Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, emphasized Egypt's prioritization of AI since 2019. He noted that the first version of the National AI Strategy included several key workstreams, such as expanding the pool of trained AI professionals and utilizing AI to address societal challenges. In collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, more than 12 AI-specialized colleges have been established, along with Egypt University of Informatics—the first university in Africa dedicated to communications and information technology. Additionally, various training initiatives have been launched to develop AI skills and prepare a generation capable of leveraging these technologies effectively. Talaat highlighted the establishment of the Applied Innovation Center as part of the strategy's implementation. The center develops projects using advanced technologies across various sectors, particularly in agriculture, healthcare, and language recognition—especially for Arabic in both its classical and Egyptian colloquial forms. The center also focuses on converting spoken text into written form and vice versa, with translation capabilities for multiple languages. He emphasized the government's commitment to pairing AI adoption with ethical considerations, ensuring data neutrality and aligning citizens' skills with job market demands. In this context, Egypt launched the Responsible AI Charter in 2023. These efforts have contributed to Egypt advancing nearly 50 positions in AI ranking indices between 2020 and 2024. Talaat noted Egypt's active role in regional and international AI forums, leading both the Arab AI Group and the African AI Group within the African Union. Egypt has contributed to developing a unified Arab AI vision and formulating the African Union's continental AI strategy. Ongoing cooperation with UNESCO in AI-related fields further reinforces these efforts. He stated that the second version of the National AI Strategy, launched last January, focuses on six key pillars: expanding computational infrastructure, managing data to balance AI companies' access to data while protecting privacy, broadening AI training and skill development, increasing AI application deployment, raising societal awareness of AI while supporting startups, and establishing a governance framework. This strategy aims to maximize AI's potential while mitigating associated risks and challenges. Talaat stressed that data is the foundation of AI, highlighting the need to balance data exchange to safeguard citizens' privacy without restricting AI systems' ability to innovate. He underscored the necessity of a governance framework that ensures data neutrality, personal data protection, and regulated data exchange. The national consultations continue Egypt's efforts to integrate ethical considerations into AI initiatives. These discussions strengthen dialogue among stakeholders and align with UNESCO's global frameworks to support national efforts in achieving responsible and inclusive AI deployment. In January, Egypt launched the second edition of its National AI Strategy (2025–2030) to establish a comprehensive AI framework that accelerates the realization of the 'Digital Egypt' vision. This strategy fosters development across various sectors, deepens regional and international cooperation, and positions Egypt as a leading AI hub in Africa and the Arab region. The initiative aligns with Egypt's broader development goals, focusing on governance, technology, data infrastructure, and talent development for long-term sustainability and global competitiveness. Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, stated: 'This event represents a cornerstone of our work. We must ensure that legal frameworks are in place and policy structures are built to mitigate negative impacts while guiding AI system development and deployment in alignment with national priorities and global challenges.' Nuria Sanz, Regional Director of UNESCO's Cairo Office, said: 'Today's consultations mark the first step in preparing for close collaboration between Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and UNESCO's Cairo Office. This effort is fully aligned with the second phase of the AI Strategy launched last January, with ethics at the heart of discussions for the benefit of humanity.' The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology plays a crucial role in shaping Egypt's AI landscape. Through its leadership in these consultations, the ministry reaffirms its commitment to developing governance frameworks that implement ethical guidelines practically. This approach fosters a responsible and sustainable AI innovation environment, contributing to economic and social development while maximizing AI's benefits.
