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The Coalition for the Responsible Evolution of AI (CoRE-AI), the first large-scale multi-stakeholder coalition focused on the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies in India, was launched this week, bringing together over 30 key stakeholders from the technology sector with a focus on fostering innovation among Indian AI startups and ensuring that the industry, academia and startups’ approach to AI regulation is reflected in the government.
The coalition is housed within New Delhi-based tech think tank The Dialogue and brings together key players in the AI space, from leading tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to IT giants like Infosys, highly acclaimed academic institutions like Ashoka University and IIM, Bangalore, and a host of leading AI startups, including BharatGPT developer CoRover.ai and AI music startup Beatoven.ai.
The coalition’s main objective is to build public trust in AI through voluntary industry guidelines and standards for AI technologies, a robust AI regulatory framework, public-private partnerships, addressing bias and fairness in AI algorithms, transparency in AI operations, and upholding user privacy and data protection.
“The government welcomes assistance and intervention from a wide range of stakeholders who can provide relevant information in this regard,” said S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
“And incorporating all these inputs will undoubtedly create a strong framework in which India can not only leverage AI for the benefit of its own people but also play a leadership role globally. I am confident that the CoRE-AI Forum will contribute towards this larger national objective,” Krishnan said in a video statement.
With a vision to develop AI in India and make it work for India, the Central Cabinet approved the IndiaAI Mission in March with a budget outlay of Rs 10,372 crore.
In an interview with The Hindu and in a statement, the CoRE AI coalition said it would focus on exploring a “principles-based approach” that leverages risk assessment to provide flexibility to address diverse challenges in AI, and would develop guidelines and contribute to a “robust governance framework” to help build a trusted and innovative AI ecosystem in India.
“The Coalition will distinguish between regulating AI and regulating responsible AI practices and will seek to establish overarching principles for ethical AI development and deployment. This nuance will be important as it shifts the focus from simply imposing restrictions on AI technologies to fostering an environment where ethical considerations, fairness and transparency are integral to AI development and deployment,” CoRE AI told The Hindu.
Additionally, the coalition said it would focus on understanding the impact of market forces on AI adoption and work together to provide clear guidance on demand and governance frameworks to “increase trust and innovation among startups,” which will be a key focus of the coalition.
“For AI to be built responsibly for the greatest collective good, we need clear collaboration between startups, capital, policymakers, big tech companies, academia, and of course users. Only through frequent dialogue and collective action can we deliver innovation at the scale and transparency we need for AI,” said Suparna Singh, CEO and co-founder of startup Frammer AI and former president and CEO of NDTV. Singh is a member of CoRE-AI’s executive committee.
CoRE-AI’s four key working groups will work to execute the Coalition’s responsible AI agenda – Human-Centric AI (ensuring that human rights and societal values are prioritised in AI development), AI and Innovation (focused on promoting and showcasing AI innovation within India), AI Governance (developing frameworks and guidelines for ethical and responsible governance of AI), DPI and AI (exploring public-private partnerships in AI and DPI in government welfare delivery and digital inclusion).
Late last year, IBM and Meta, along with several prominent universities such as Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, technology startups and foundations, formed the global “AI Alliance” to chart a new path towards responsible AI and a potential competitor to CoRE AI. The AI Alliance’s main objective is to challenge the dominance of incumbent players such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and Amazon in the AI field and promote open innovation in AI.
Another new organisation in the field of AI governance in India is the Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Consortium (AIKC), which was set up in March this year by 12 research institutes and think tanks who joined forces to set up a consortium dedicated to promoting a multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance.
