New Delhi (NVI): The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum today launched US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) initiative, which will scale up the science and technology relationship between the two countries.
During the virtual launch, the secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Prof Ashutosh Sharma said that it the necessity to scale up the S&T relationship between India and the United States to solve problems of both countries and overcome barriers for growth.
“Indo-US relationship in the field of S&T is very old collaborations have resulted in great benefits for both the countries,” Sharma said, adding that we need to further scale it up in various fields, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a major role in the future.
“We have identified the barriers for growth in India that could be useful for the United States too,” he pointed out at the curtain raiser of the launch ceremony on March 17.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative of IUSSTF, Sharma also said that research, technology in artificial intelligence is being promoted and implemented in the country through a network of 25 technology hubs working as a triple helix set up under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
“IUSSTF’s USIAI initiative focuses on AI cooperation in critical areas that are priorities for both countries,” the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement.
It will serve as a platform to discuss opportunities, challenges, and barriers for bilateral AI R&D collaboration, enable AI innovation, help share ideas for developing an AI workforce, and recommend modes and mechanisms for catalyzing partnerships, the statement added.
Jonathan Margolis, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Bureau of Oceans & International Environmental & Scientific Affairs, US Department of State, said that,” The US-India strategic partnership can be strengthened by focusing on AI cooperation in critical areas that are priorities for both countries.”
He added that collaboration between India and US is based on shared values of openness, transparency, and reciprocity and encourages innovation that will benefit both countries.
On the occasion, Dr. Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, Director, National Science Foundation (NSF) also pointed out that, “Two large democracies of the world can do wonders by creating synergies and collaboration, and the time is right to launch such initiative. We are looking forward for more research and high-impact collaboration to boost both the economies, create jobs, and bring prosperity.”
Moreover, the US-India AI initiative will provide an opportunity for key stakeholder groups to share experiences, identify new R&D areas and opportunities that would benefit from synergistic activities, discuss the emerging AI landscape, and address the challenges of developing an AI workforce, the ministry noted.
The flagship initiative, USIAI, leverages IUSSTF’s unique ability to bring together key stakeholders from both the countries to create synergies that address challenges and opportunities at the interface of science, technology, and society.
Over the next year, IUSSTF will conduct a series of roundtables and workshops to gather input from different stakeholder communities.
It also prepare white papers that identify technical, research, infrastructure, and workforce opportunities and challenges, and domain-specific opportunities for R&D in healthcare, smart cities, materials, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing, the statement added.
-RJV
