India Can Lead in Enhancing AI Accessibility for the Global South, Says BCG India MD Sidharth Madaan

India has the potential to lead in making artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible to the Global South, according to Sidharth Madaan, Managing Director & Partner at BCG India. He noted that India has excelled in developing language models, which can be extremely powerful. However, he warned that India risks falling behind in adopting new technologies and converting its demographic advantage into a productivity advantage.

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India's success with language models like Bhashini and Sarvam is noteworthy. These open-source models have been developed by leveraging available content and knowledge from various markets. Madaan highlighted that these models could be instrumental in skilling workers and could be extended to Global South countries. He emphasised India's capability to solve language challenges, which can be applied to over 50 African countries.

AI's Role in Skilling

Madaan stressed the importance of AI in skilling India's workforce. With an average age of 29, India's population is one of the youngest globally. This demographic advantage could be lost if not harnessed through training in emerging technologies. The existing workforce needs training on new technologies, while newcomers must also be prepared to use technology effectively.

The gap between skilling and AI adoption remains significant. Madaan pointed out the need for improvement in digital adoption and STEM education, including maths and science basics. He believes that AI can help bridge this gap by making technology more accessible and easier to use.

Technology's Impact on Accessibility

Madaan noted that AI is simplifying technology usage by allowing communication in different languages and voice formats rather than relying solely on text data. This advancement makes it easier to reach remote areas, but substantial skilling is still required to fully utilise these technologies.

He remarked, "The beauty is that AI is making the form factor easier. You can now talk in different languages, you can talk in different voice formats instead of looking at data and reading the text." This highlights how AI is transforming communication methods.

In summary, India's progress in language models positions it well to lead AI accessibility efforts for the Global South. However, significant work remains in skilling the workforce to ensure this technological advantage translates into productivity gains.

With inputs from PTI