India to Lead in AI: Sam Altman Now Says

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

Sam Altman has now said that India should play a leading role in artificial intelligence. He previously dismissed India’s AI capabilities as “hopeless.” He made the comments in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Altman identified India as OpenAI’s second-largest market globally. India is preparing to launch its own AI model in the coming months.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

Sam Altman Reverses Stance, Says India Will Be a Leader in AI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who previously dismissed India’s ability to develop large-scale AI models, has now stated that the country should play a leading role in artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence). Speaking at an event attended by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman highlighted India’s growing role in AI and revealed that it is OpenAI’s second-largest market globally. The world is now watching India’s role in this AI revolution.

His latest comments stand in stark contrast to his 2023 remarks, where he had deemed India’s chances of building competitive AI models as “totally hopeless.” At the time, he was responding to a question about whether a small team with a limited budget of million could create a strong AI foundation model. Altman has since clarified that his earlier statement was taken out of context, explaining that while training AI models remains expensive, it is becoming increasingly feasible, and India should assume a leadership position in this domain.

India’s Own AI Model

Altman’s shift in perspective likely stems from India’s impending launch of its own AI model in the coming months. Minister Vaishnaw recently announced that the country is developing an indigenous AI model designed to be safe, secure, and cost-effective. This initiative is part of the broader IndiaAI mission, which aims to develop AI solutions tailored to India’s unique requirements, including support for multiple Indian languages. This marks a significant step towards making India self-reliant in artificial intelligence. The project includes the development of AI models capable of understanding and responding in various Indian languages, catering to the diverse linguistic landscape of the country.

The government has already established a high-end computing infrastructure to support AI development, starting with 10,000 GPUs and planning to add an additional 8,693 GPUs shortly. This will provide researchers, developers, and students with affordable access to AI computing power. While utilizing global AI models can cost between .5 and per hour, India’s AI computing resources will be available for less than Rs 100 per hour after a 40 percent government subsidy.

Altman’s Massive AI Infrastructure Project

Altman, who recently unveiled OpenAI’s massive 0 billion ‘Stargate’ AI infrastructure project in the US, acknowledged that while AI development is costly, it offers significant long-term economic value. He stated that AI model training will remain expensive but is no longer beyond the reach of countries like India. Vaishnaw, meanwhile, drew a parallel between India’s AI ambitions and its achievements in space technology, such as the Chandrayaan mission. He asserted that just as India made remarkable progress in space exploration, it could achieve similar success in AI development. India doesn’t want to lag behind in this AI era.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

Sam Altman says India will lead in AI. He previously called India’s AI capabilities “hopeless.” India is preparing to launch its own AI model in the coming months. The government is supporting AI development.

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