In News:

• The growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been remarkable in recent years. In 2018, a 340-million-parameter AI model was considered large, whereas models like ChatGPT now have 1.8 trillion parameters.
• As part of its ambition to make the digital economy worth USD 1 trillion by 2028, India is focusing on AI sovereignty and investing in semiconductors and AI technologies to achieve this goal.

What is Sovereign AI?

Definition

• Sovereign AI refers to a nation’s ability to develop, control, and deploy AI using its own resources, including infrastructure, data, workforce, and business networks.
• This involves not just developing AI models but also creating infrastructure and nurturing homegrown talent to lead AI advancements within the country.

Key Aspects of Sovereign AI

• National Control: Ensures AI technologies align with a country's laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
• Data Sovereignty: Emphasizes control of data within the country’s borders, protecting privacy, security, and national interests.
• AI in Governance: Generative AI is transforming industries, markets, and governance, with AI-powered tools assisting professionals and governments.
• Ethical Considerations: Countries define security protocols and ethical frameworks to govern the use of AI technologies.
• Strategic Autonomy: Reduces reliance on foreign technologies, encouraging domestic development in AI to achieve strategic independence.
• Economic Competitiveness: AI is crucial for industrial innovation. Without it, nations risk falling behind in the global economy.

Growth and Importance of AI

Evolution of AI Models

• In 2018, a 340-million-parameter model was considered a significant achievement.
• Today, ChatGPT uses 1.8 trillion parameters, and Google’s Gemini uses 1.5 trillion parameters. In comparison, China’s DeepSeek has a model with 240 billion parameters.
• Parameters are the internal variables of AI models, adjusted during training to improve their performance and accuracy.

Strategic Applications

• Sovereign AI plays a pivotal role in critical sectors such as:
  • Defense
  • Healthcare
  • Transportation
  • Governance
• It helps redefine industries, boost innovation, and streamline operations across various sectors.

India’s Position in Sovereign AI

AI Infrastructure Development

• Tata Group and Reliance are building AI infrastructure in India, including the development of Large Language Models (LLMs).
• India has allocated USD 1.2 billion for a sovereign AI project under the IndiaAI Mission, which includes creating an AI supercomputer with thousands of chips.

Government Initiatives

• The IndiaAI Mission is designed to boost India’s AI capabilities by building infrastructure, fostering talent, and supporting innovation within the country.

Global AI Compact

• A Global AI Compact has been proposed to ensure equitable access to AI technologies across nations.
• The compact advocates for sharing AI resources globally while promoting cooperation and addressing challenges associated with AI governance.

In News:

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has declared 2025 as the "Year of Artificial Intelligence" (AI), aiming to empower over 14,000 AICTE-approved colleges and benefit 40 million students. This initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision to make India a global leader in AI and technology.

Key Objectives and Features of the AICTE AI Initiative:

• Positioning India as a Global AI Leader:
  • Empowering students with AI skills to drive innovation and lead in the emerging AI-driven economy.
  • Preparing India’s workforce for the technological advancements of the future.
• Core Elements of the AICTE AI Initiative:
  • AI Affirmation Pledge: Institutions will adopt and display an AI Affirmation Pledge, focusing on innovation, ethics, and education in AI.
  • Comprehensive AI Integration:
    • Introducing interdisciplinary AI courses and research programs.
    • Setting up AI labs in collaboration with industries to meet global standards.
    • Promoting ethical AI practices with societal benefits in focus.
  • AI Awareness Campaign:
    • “AI for All: The Future Begins Here” campaign includes workshops, hackathons, and guest lectures.
    • Formation of student-driven AI chapters to foster innovation and research.
  • Faculty Development & Industry Partnerships:
    • Workshops and certification programs for faculty to improve AI teaching.
    • Collaboration with companies like Adobe, CISCO, and IBM for student exposure through internships and mentorships.
  • Recognition of Excellence: Institutions excelling in AI integration will be recognized, serving as role models for others.
• Action Plan for Institutions:
  • All institutions are required to submit AI Implementation Plans by December 31, 2024. These plans will be evaluated by the AICTE Approval Bureau and exemplary submissions will be highlighted as benchmarks.
• Shaping India as a Global AI Leader:
  • AICTE aims to revolutionize India’s education system and enhance its position in the global AI race, focusing on building a self-reliant workforce.

Additional Context on AICTE and its Role:

• AICTE Overview:
  • A statutory body and national-level council under the Ministry of Education.
  • Established in November 1945 as a national-level apex advisory body for technical education in India.

Government Initiatives to Support AI and Consumer Protection:

• AI and Consumer Protection:
  • AI-driven tools launched to enhance consumer protection, such as the National Consumer Helpline, e-MAAP Portal, and Jago Grahak Jago mobile application.
  • New guidelines for regulating deceptive marketing in e-commerce to ensure consumer confidence in the digital market.
  • Tools like the e-Daakhil Portal for online complaint filing.

Impact:

• This initiative will have a far-reaching impact, involving more than 14,000 institutions and 40 million students nationwide, preparing them for leadership roles in AI and technology, and helping India secure its future in the global AI-driven economy.

Why is it in the News?

Predictive AI is revolutionizing data analysis, decision-making, and industry leadership, offering businesses unprecedented insights and strategic advantages.

What is Predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

• Predictive artificial intelligence (AI) utilizes machine learning techniques to analyze historical data and forecast future events, distinguishing it from traditional AI focused solely on retrospective analysis.
• This cutting-edge technology employs advanced algorithms and machine learning models to sift through extensive datasets, identifying subtle patterns and trends.
• Unlike conventional approaches, Predictive AI doesn't just analyze data; it transforms it into actionable insights, enabling organizations to:
  • Anticipate future outcomes,
  • Predict market shifts, and
  • Make strategic decisions with unprecedented foresight.
• By continuously learning from past data and adapting to changing trends, Predictive AI becomes an invaluable tool, guiding businesses through uncertain landscapes.

How Predictive AI Work?

• Leveraging Big Data: Predictive AI relies on access to extensive datasets, often referred to as "big data," as larger datasets typically lead to more accurate analyses.
• Utilizing Machine Learning (ML): As a subset of AI, ML involves training computer programs to analyze data autonomously, without human intervention.
  • In the realm of predictive AI, ML algorithms are applied to vast datasets to extract valuable insights.
• Autonomous Processing: Predictive AI models are capable of autonomously processing massive datasets, eliminating the need for human oversight.
• Pattern Recognition: Through ML techniques, predictive AI learns to recognize patterns within datasets, associating specific data points or occurrences with potential future events.
  • By examining numerous factors, predictive AI can identify intricate patterns indicative of recurring events, enabling organizations to anticipate future outcomes effectively.

Difference Between Predictive AI and Generative AI:

• Predictive AI and generative AI both employ machine learning techniques and leverage extensive datasets to generate their outputs.
• However, while predictive AI utilizes machine learning to forecast future outcomes, generative AI employs machine learning to produce original content.
• For instance, a predictive AI model may inform fishermen about impending storms, whereas a generative AI model may craft a fictional narrative depicting various scenarios involving weather and fishing expeditions.
• While both types of AI rely on statistical analysis to discern patterns, their objectives, machine learning methodologies, and applications differ significantly.

Various Applications of Predictive AI:

• Assessing the Impact of Natural Disasters: With the recent eruption of a volcano in Iceland, the potential repercussions on air travel echo concerns from a similar event in 2010, which disrupted flights across Europe.
  • Predictive AI leverages data analysis to identify patterns and anticipate the impact of such extreme weather events on air travel. Platforms like Yandex offer interactive maps for real-time monitoring of ash clouds post-eruption.
• Enhancing Oil and Gas Exploration: In the realm of oil and gas exploration, companies possess extensive historical geological data that can inform predictive AI systems.
  • By analyzing past drilling successes, these systems can predict optimal locations for new oil wells.
    • For instance, Saudi Aramco utilizes its meta-brain generative AI to optimize drilling plans, analyze geological data, and forecast drilling outcomes accurately.
• Inventory and Supply chain management: Predictive AI aids in inventory and supply chain management by identifying peak consumer demand periods, facilitating proactive stock adjustments, and optimizing resource allocation to address fluctuations in road congestion and meet increased user demands.
• Marketing campaigns: Just as predictive AI can anticipate user or customer behavior, it can help prognosticate what kinds of content or products prospective customers may be interested in.
• Advancing Medical Research: Predictive AI plays a pivotal role in drug discovery, a cornerstone of contemporary medical research.
  • Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly collaborating to leverage predictive AI models for analyzing vast datasets and identifying potential drug candidates. Initiatives like the 'MELLODDY Project', supported by the EU Innovative
  • Medicines Initiative and multiple pharmaceutical firms, exemplify this collaborative effort in pooling data and leveraging predictive AI for drug discovery.

Why is it in the News?

Recently, Inflection AI launched its latest LLM, Inflection 2.5, an upgrade to its model that powers its friendly chatbot Pi personal assistant.

About Inflection 2.5:

• Inflection-2.5 is an “upgraded in-house model that is competitive with all the world’s leading LLMs like GPT-4 and Gemini.
• The newly upgraded LLM comes with its signature personality and uniquely empathetic fine-tuning.
• Its latest model achieved GPT-4’s performance with only 40 per cent of the OpenAI model’s computation power for training.
• Besides, it seems Inflection 2.5 has made some stellar strides in areas of IQ such as coding and mathematics.
  • This means that the model has made substantial improvements on key benchmarks.
• With the new upgrade, Pi has now been endowed with world-class real-time web search capabilities to ensure that users get access to high-quality and up-to-date information in real-time.

What is the Pi chatbot?

• Pi is an advanced chatbot powered by Inflection AI's cutting-edge language model, Inflection 2.5 which allows one to have deep and meaningful conversations.
• To access the chatbot, one needs to log on to Inflection.AI, click on Meet Pi, and simply start talking to the chatbot right away.
• Pi is more humane and has been promoted as a chatbot that has a personality.
  • In other words, Inflection AI dubbed it as a chatbot that is “supportive, smart, and there for you anytime”.
• Pi is more like a companion to humans and is free to use.
• The chatbot comes with a voice, in six distinct voices, to choose from adding life to conversations.

Pi chatbot boasts a number of impressive features that make it stand out from other conversational AI systems:

• Real-time web search capabilities: Pi can access and present up-to-date information on a wide range of topics, ensuring that users always have access to accurate and relevant information.
• Empathetic personality: Pi's unique empathetic fine-tuning allows it to understand and respond to the emotional nuances of human communication, making it a more engaging and personable conversational partner.
• Versatile conversation topics: Whether you're discussing current events, asking for local recommendations, studying for an exam, drafting a business plan, coding, or just talking about hobbies, Pi is equipped to handle a wide range of conversational topics.
• User-friendly interface: Designed with accessibility in mind, Pi's intuitive interface makes it easy for users of all technical abilities to engage with the chatbot and get the most out of their conversations.

Why is it in the News

India has made its first move to address a key shortcoming it currently has in unlocking opportunities around generative artificial intelligence (AI) – that of computing hardware.

What is IndiaAI Mission?

• India's AI Mission entails the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI) initiative, announced by the Prime Minister at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023 in New Delhi, with implementation overseen by the 'IndiaAI' Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC).
• Led by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), the mission aims to establish a computing capacity exceeding 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) and develop foundational models trained on datasets encompassing major Indian languages, focusing on priority sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and governance.
• Additionally, the mission will involve the establishment of AI Curation Units (ACUs) in 50-line ministries and the creation of an AI marketplace to provide AI services and pre-trained models to AI application developers.
• Implementation of the AI computer infrastructure will follow a public-private partnership model, with 50% viability gap funding, with Rs 4,564 crore allocated from the total outlay of Rs 10,372 crore for building computing infrastructure.

Key Features of the IndiaAI Mission:

• IndiaAI Compute Capacity: Establishing a scalable AI computing ecosystem to meet the growing demands of India's burgeoning AI start-ups and research community.
• IndiaAI Innovation Centre: Focusing on the development and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors.
• IndiaAI Datasets Platform: Streamlining access to high-quality non-personal datasets to fuel AI innovation.
• IndiaAI Application Development Initiative: Promoting the adoption of AI applications in critical sectors, addressing problem statements sourced from Central Ministries, State Departments, and other entities.
• IndiaAI FutureSkills: Mitigating barriers to entry into AI programs by expanding AI courses at undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. levels.
• IndiaAI Startup Financing: Supporting and accelerating deep-tech AI startups by providing streamlined access to funding for futuristic AI projects.
• Safe & Trusted AI: Ensuring the responsible implementation of AI projects through the development of indigenous tools and frameworks to foster trust and safety in AI applications.

The Significance of the IndiaAI Mission:

• The IndiaAI Mission aligns with the vision of fostering indigenous AI development and leveraging AI technology for the benefit of India.
• It aims to demonstrate to the international community the positive impact of AI technology on society, thereby enhancing India's global competitiveness.
• By establishing a comprehensive ecosystem for AI innovation through strategic partnerships across public and private sectors, the mission will catalyze AI-driven advancements.
• It will foster creativity and bolster internal capabilities, ensuring India's technological sovereignty.
• Furthermore, the mission is poised to create employment opportunities that demand advanced skills, leveraging India's demographic advantage.

Why is it in the News?

Recently, a company founded by former members of Google DeepMind, TikTok, and top labs from research academia — introduced an eponymous new text-to-video model Haiper.

What is Haiper?

• Haiper is an all-in-one visual foundation model that allows everyone, with or without technical training, to generate high-quality video content with ease.
• The founders claim that Haiper brings forward cutting-edge machine learning with the belief that creativity should be “fun, surprising, and shareable”.
• The company has built Haiper as a powerful, industry-agnostic creativity tool.
• It was released by Google DeepMind and Tiktok alumni.

What does Haiper do?

• Haiper offers tools such as text-to-video, animated static images, video repainting tools, etc.
• Users can go on to the website, log in with their email addresses, and start generating videos for free by typing in text prompts.
• At present, users can only generate HD video spanning 2 seconds, and a slightly lower-quality video could go up to four seconds.

Strengths and limitations:

• While the short length is a limitation, the company is working towards extending the video outputs.
• Presently,  the tool is free to use, with an aim to build a community.
• While OpenAI’s Sora is still not available for the public, Haiper is offering users to try its tool for free on its website.

Why is it in the News?

Recently, Google DeepMind unveiled Genie, a novel model capable of creating interactive video games based solely on textual or image prompts.

What is Genie AI?

• Genie is a foundation world model that is trained on videos sourced from the Internet.
• The model can “generate an endless variety of playable (action-controllable) worlds from synthetic images, photographs, and even sketches.”
• It is the first generative interactive environment that has been trained in an unsupervised manner from unlabelled internet videos.
• When it comes to size, Genie stands at 11B parameters and consists of a spatiotemporal video tokenizer, an autoregressive dynamics model, and a simple and scalable latent action model.
  • These technical specifications let Genie act in generated environments on a frame-by-frame basis even in the absence of training, labels, or any other domain-specific requirements.

What does Genie do?

• Genie is a new kind of generative AI that enables anyone – even children – to dream up and step into generated worlds similar to human-designed simulated environments.
• It can be prompted to generate a diverse set of interactive and controllable environments although it is trained on video-only data.
  • It is a breakthrough as it makes playable environments from a single image prompt.
• According to Google DeepMind, Genie can be prompted with images it has never seen.
  • This includes real-world photographs, and sketches, allowing people to interact with their imagined virtual worlds.
• When it comes to training, they focus more on videos of 2D platformer games and robotics.
• Genie is trained on a general method, allowing it to function on any type of domain, and it is scalable to even larger Internet datasets.

Why is it Important?

• The standout aspect of Genie is its ability to learn and reproduce controls for in-game characters exclusively from internet videos.
• This is noteworthy because internet videos do not have labels about the action that is performed in the video, or even which part of the image should be controlled.
• It allows you to create an entirely new interactive environment from a single image.
• This opens up many possibilities, especially new ways to create and step into virtual worlds.
• With Genie, anyone will be able to create their own entirely imagined virtual worlds.

What is the News ?

India ranked fifth in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based investments according to Stanford University’s annual AI Index report 2023.

Facts About:

• AI Index is an independent project at Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI).

Purpose: 

• The annual report compiles, analyzes, and visually presents AI-related data to empower responsible and ethical AI advancements in collaboration with human interests

Global AI Investment Rankings

1. United States
2. China
3. United Kingdom
4. Israel
5. India

India's Remarkable Growth

• India secured the fifth position in AI investments received by startups worldwide in 2022.
• AI startups in India attracted $3.24 billion in funding, surpassing countries like South Korea, Germany, Canada, and Australia.

Investment Revival amidst Recession

• Despite a global AI investment dip since 2021 due to economic challenges, a resurgence in Venture Capital (VC) funding is anticipated this year.
• Enterprises and consumers' heightened interest in generative AI products like Open AI's ChatGPT is expected to drive this revival.

Global Contribution to LLM Development

• 54% of researchers involved in advancing large language models (LLMs) hail from American institutions.
• Significant progress observed as researchers from Canada, Germany, and India joined the LLM development landscape in the past year.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/key-takeaways-from-stanford-ai-index-report-2023-8539812/