AI to light the path at India Mobile Congress

The government is expected to outline a policy framework for artificial intelligence (AI) at the annual India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024, beginning Tuesday, officials said.

Apart from industry participation, the four-day event will feature booths from over 15 ministries showcasing how AI is being integrated into their departments.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is also expected to emphasise technology during his inaugural address.

“The theme has shifted from 5G to the next set of technologies, with AI at the top of that list.

At the 2022 event, the PM launched 5G services in India, while 14 government departments showcased industry use cases for 5G that were being deployed.

"The same will be done for AI this year,” a senior Department of Telecommunications official said.

“A big day for the telecom sector! At 10 am on October 15, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) — World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) and the IMC 2024 will be inaugurated.

"These fora are important, bringing together leading stakeholders from across the sector,” posted Modi on X.

The government may also clarify whether it is considering the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai’s) recommendations to create an independent statutory authority to ensure the development of responsible AI and regulate its use cases in India.

Last year, Trai proposed an Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority of India (AIDAI) for this purpose.

While the Centre has launched initiatives such as ‘AI for All’ and the National AI Strategy to harness AI for societal benefit, interministerial discussions have increasingly highlighted the need to consolidate these initiatives into a cohesive AI policy.

The event aims to produce a thought paper on the subject, IMC chief executive officer Ramakrishna P said. “The evolution of AI and generative AI (GenAI) is a leading global phenomenon today, and the world is just beginning to realise its potential and impact. Today, India is at the centre stage of technology evolution and plays a critical role,” he noted.

IMC 2024 is expected to feature over 50 global and Indian speakers discussing various facets of AI and GenAI across more than 11 diverse panels during the four days of the event.

Discussions at the telecom and tech meet will primarily focus on AI and GenAI, delving into themes such as AI in networks, AI in chipsets, and ethical AI.

Aspire, the flagship startup programme introduced in the last edition, will be bigger this year, according to organisers.

The Aspire programme will host over 140 startups focusing on AI-based applications across different industries.

In the telecom sector, while operators have been experimenting with AI for at least five years, concentrated efforts intensified leading up to the nationwide 5G rollout in October 2022.

All three private sector telecom service providers — Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea — have confirmed they are using AI tools to enhance network expansion, engineering, and the monitoring of user issues and complaints.

Billed by the government as India’s premier technology event, IMC is being held this year alongside two key global telecom meetings in Delhi.

India will host the WTSA from October 15 to 24, 2024, preceded by the Global Standards Symposium. The ITU, a specialised United Nations agency for information and communication technologies of which India is a part, conducts the WTSA every four years to plan its standardisation programme.

The government believes India’s participation in these meetings is crucial for shaping global agendas in emerging technologies such as AI, 6G, the Internet of Things, satellite communications, and quantum computing.

A joint day-long session on ‘AI for Good’, where experts and delegates from around the world will deliberate on the subject, will be organised by IMC and ITU.

India has increasingly staked its claim in global discussions on AI, hosting the Global India AI Summit in New Delhi in July, which assembled over 12,000 global AI experts, practitioners, and delegates from 50 countries.