AI Alliance Expands Membership to Indian Organizations

The AI Alliance, a global community focused on advancing safe and responsible AI through open innovation, has expanded its membership to include seven Indian organizations. The new members are AI4Bharat (IIT Madras), IIT Jodhpur, Infosys, KissanAI, People+AI, Sarvam AI, and Wadhwani AI. IIT Bombay, a founding member, continues its participation.

India's AI Landscape

India's AI landscape is evolving with the Government's IndiaAI mission, which aims to democratize access to technology and resources. The country has a large developer community and a vibrant start-up ecosystem, contributing to its leadership in AI adoption and innovation. The open-source approach to AI innovation aligns with the Indian government's vision for digital transformation.

Importance of Open Innovation

Open and transparent innovation is crucial for empowering AI researchers, builders, and adopters. It provides the necessary information and tools to harness advancements in ways that prioritize safety, diversity, economic opportunity, and benefits for all.

Contribution to Global AI

The AI Alliance is committed to promoting open, safe, and responsible artificial intelligence. By including a diverse mix of academia, startups, and enterprises from India, the Alliance aims to shape the global AI landscape to reflect the needs and complexities of India. Indian organizations can now contribute and collaborate on a global scale through the Alliance.

"India’s growing AI landscape presents unique opportunities and challenges. By joining the AI Alliance, these organizations will be able to tap into global expertise and a collaborative network that will enable them to tackle the ethical and technical challenges of AI for India head-on, and in an open manner.", said Dr. Amith Singhee, Director, IBM Research India and CTO IBM India and South Asia "Together, we can promote the development and deployment of AI in a manner that is safe, transparent, and beneficial to all."

"The inclusion of Indian organizations in the AI Alliance underscores India’s growing influence in the global AI landscape. As we continue to push the boundaries for what is possible with AI collaboration across borders and industries is crucial.” said Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India. "At Meta, we are committed to advancing AI in a way that benefits everyone, and we believe that the contributions of these new members will significantly strengthen our collective efforts."

Indian Organizations Join AI Alliance

The AI Alliance has expanded its membership to include Indian organizations from various sectors, including technology, agriculture, and AI research. The new members represent a cross-section of industries and academic institutions.

Collaborative Approach

The participation of these organizations highlights the importance of a collaborative approach to AI development in India. The focus is on fostering responsible AI practices within the country.

Responsible AI Practices

The inclusion of these Indian organizations in the AI Alliance underscores the need for responsible AI practices. This collaboration aims to advance AI development in a manner that aligns with the principles of safety and responsibility.

Mitesh M Khapra, Head, AI4Bharat, Associate Professor at CSE Department, IIT Madras: "AI4Bharat is excited to join the AI Alliance, reinforcing our commitment to advancing AI technology for Indian languages. Through this collaboration, we aim to push the boundaries of innovation in language technology for Indian languages, ensuring equitable access to AI for all. Together, we look forward to creating open-source solutions that empower communities, enhance digital inclusivity, and drive meaningful impact across academia, industry, and government sectors."

Professor Mayank Vatsa, Computer Science Department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur: "Open AI research is crucial for the advancement of AI, as it fosters collaboration and the free exchange of ideas, accelerating breakthroughs that benefit society at large. Several initiatives at IIT Jodhpur aim to drive inclusive and ethical AI development, with a strong emphasis on responsible AI practices and the creation of robust foundation models focusing on the local context. Additionally, the institute is committed to advancing AI education, equipping the next generation of researchers and practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to shape a better future."

Balakrishna D. R. (Bali), Executive Vice President, Global Services Head, AI and Industry Verticals, Infosys: “At Infosys, we believe that ensuring AI’s safety and fostering responsible adoption of AI is an industry-wide endeavor that requires collaboration among technology providers, policymakers, academia, and government bodies. AI alliance’s objectives and approach align closely with Infosys Topaz. As we join the alliance, we look forward to collaborating and building a robust ecosystem for AI’s open, inclusive, and responsible adoption and growth.”

Pratik Desai Founder, KissanAI: "At KissanAI, we believe that open innovation is not just a technological approach, it's a commitment to building a more inclusive and sustainable future for agriculture. The AI Alliance embodies this vision, uniting diverse voices to unlock the transformative power of AI for the benefit of the planet. As a member of this alliance, we are dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, ensuring that AI advancements in agriculture are accessible, ethical, and empower farmers to embrace sustainable practices for generations to come."

Tanuj Bhojwani, Head, People+ai: "We're excited to announce that People+ai has joined the AI Alliance. This group brings together a diverse mix of companies, researchers, and innovators who all share a common goal: making AI technology that's open, safe, and beneficial for everyone. By working together, we hope to tackle the big challenges in AI development and ensure that the powerful tools we're creating are used responsibly. We believe that collaboration and sharing knowledge are key to building AI systems that people can trust and use with confidence. As part of this alliance, we're looking forward to contributing our expertise and learning from others to help shape an AI future that works for all of us."

Pratyush Kumar, Co-Founder, Sarvam AI: "At Sarvam AI we believe in the value of open innovation in catalyzing broad-based availability and adoption of AI technologies. We are excited to be part of the AI Alliance and look forward to working with various members to further the cause of open innovation."

Shekar Sivasubramanian, CEO, of Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence: “If AI is to impact lives and livelihoods, it must be open in many ways. Open data, open code, and open models are just the beginning in terms of creating an ecosystem that brings the benefits of AI to those who need it most. This openness must be present in the creative minds of the AI scientists, in the data collection and refinement strategies used by AI to learn, and in the discipline in rolling out AI at scale in the human ecosystem. Inclusivity, humility, an unbiased approach and willingness to unlearn are all tenets of such an approach. Through the AI alliance, we hope to meaningfully expand the scope of our work as well as contribute to open AI initiatives worldwide.”