India risks losing control over data to foreign AI: Adani
What's the story
Gautam Adani, the Chairman of the Adani Group, has warned that India could lose control over its data, decision-making processes, and economic behavior to foreign algorithms. He emphasized the need for a domestic artificial intelligence (AI) stack at the inauguration of the Sharad Pawar Centre for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in Baramati, Maharashtra.
Economic implications
AI's dual impact on economy and information control
Adani acknowledged the job creation potential and productivity boost of AI. However, he also warned that it concentrates economic power and informational control at an unprecedented scale. He stressed that technological sovereignty is a national imperative for India, a country with 1.4 billion people. "While job creation is vital, a nation of 1.4 billion people cannot afford to place these jobs, data, culture and collective intelligence at the mercy of foreign algorithms," he said.
Strategic competition
AI's role in geopolitical rivalries and strategic power
Adani also highlighted how AI has moved from innovation cycles to strategic power, amid rising geopolitical rivalries. He said the US-China rivalry shows that AI is no longer a technological race but a contest for global domination. "Semiconductors have become strategic assets. Data centers have become critical infrastructure," he added, emphasizing the growing importance of these technologies in global power dynamics.
Vulnerability
India's vulnerability without domestic AI capabilities
Adani warned that without domestic AI capabilities, India could be vulnerable to external economic extraction and influence. He said if India doesn't build its own AI models, compute infrastructure, and intelligence ecosystems, its behavior, preferences, markets, and decisions would be exploited by other nations. This highlights the importance of developing a robust domestic AI ecosystem to safeguard national interests in the global technology landscape.