Daily Current Affairs : 27-July-2023

In a significant step towards technological advancement and fostering innovation, ‘India AI’ – the National AI Portal of India, and Meta (formerly known as Facebook) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU aims to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation between the two organizations in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Technologies. The partnership seeks to leverage Meta’s AI research models to develop datasets in Indian Languages, facilitate translation, and enhance accessibility to AI compute resources. This essay delves into the details of the MoU and its potential impact on India’s AI ecosystem.

The MoU’s Objectives

The primary objective of the MoU is to foster collaboration and cooperation between ‘India AI’ and Meta in the following areas:

  1. Building a Centre of Excellence for AI and Emerging Technologies: The organizations may consider establishing a Centre of Excellence to support and nurture the startup ecosystem in the field of AI and other Emerging Technologies. This initiative aims to provide a platform for budding entrepreneurs and innovators to explore the potential of AI.
  2. Empowering Indian Languages: Meta’s AI research models, such as LlaMA, Massively Multilingual Speech, and No Language Left Behind, will be utilized to build datasets in various Indian Languages. This will enable the development of translation and large language models, with a special focus on low-resource languages. By doing so, the collaboration aims to promote social inclusion and enhance government service delivery in different linguistic regions of India.
  3. Driving Innovation: The partnership between ‘India AI’ and Meta aims to drive innovation in AI technologies. Through the use of large language models, Generative AI, cognitive systems, and translation models, the collaboration seeks to create new avenues for technological advancement in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and governance.
‘India AI’: A Gateway to AI in India

‘India AI’ was launched in 2020 as a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, National e-Governance Division, and NASSCOM. It serves as the National AI Portal of India and has become the central hub for all things related to AI in the country. The portal offers a plethora of resources for different stakeholders:

  1. Latest Updates and Insights: ‘India AI’ provides up-to-date news and articles about AI developments in India and across the globe. It keeps stakeholders informed about the latest trends, opportunities, scopes, and challenges in the field of AI.
  2. Resources for Aspiring Minds: The portal offers valuable resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, students, professionals, academics, and anyone interested in AI. These resources empower individuals to learn and engage with AI technologies effectively.
The Potential Impact

The collaboration between ‘India AI’ and Meta has the potential to bring about significant positive changes:

  1. Language Inclusivity: The development of AI models in Indian Languages will break linguistic barriers, making technology more accessible to diverse communities. This inclusivity can lead to improved citizen services and greater public engagement.
  2. Boosting Innovation: By leveraging Meta’s AI research models, the collaboration can pave the way for cutting-edge innovations in AI technology. This could result in groundbreaking applications and solutions that address real-world challenges effectively.
  3. Nurturing Startups: The establishment of a Centre of Excellence for AI and Emerging Technologies can become a breeding ground for startups to flourish. It will provide them with the necessary support, resources, and guidance to develop innovative AI-based products and services.

Important Points:

  • ‘India AI’ and Meta (formerly Facebook) signed an MoU to collaborate in AI and Emerging Technologies.
  • Objective: Establish a framework for cooperation and a Centre of Excellence for AI startups.
  • Meta’s AI research models, like LlaMA and Massively Multilingual Speech, will be used to build datasets in Indian Languages.
  • Translation and large language models will be developed, with a focus on low-resource languages.
  • This effort aims to foster social inclusion, improve government services, and drive innovation using AI technologies.
  • The collaboration will enhance accessibility to AI compute resources for researchers, startups, and organizations with limited resources.
  • ‘India AI’ is the National AI Portal of India, a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, National e-Governance Division, and NASSCOM.
  • The portal covers the latest AI updates, insights, opportunities, and challenges in India and globally.
  • It provides resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, students, professionals, academics, and AI enthusiasts.
  • The partnership aims to break language barriers, making technology more inclusive and citizen services more accessible.
  • It has the potential to boost innovation and nurture startups in the AI and Emerging Technologies space.
Why In News

‘India AI’ – an IBD initiative under Digital India Corporation, and Meta, India, a prominent technology company, have signed a strategic MoU. This collaboration aims to leverage advanced artificial intelligence technologies to drive innovation and foster the development of cutting-edge solutions for various sectors in the country.

MCQs about India AI and Meta’s Transformative Collaboration

  1. What is the primary objective of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ‘India AI’ and Meta?
    A. To establish a platform for social media collaboration
    B. To promote social inclusion and improve government service delivery
    C. To create a new AI research institute
    D. To facilitate online shopping experiences
    Correct Answer: B. To promote social inclusion and improve government service delivery.
    Explanation: The primary objective of the MoU between ‘India AI’ and Meta is to foster collaboration and cooperation to promote social inclusion through AI. By leveraging Meta’s AI research models, the partnership aims to build datasets in Indian Languages, enable translation and large language models, prioritize low-resource languages to improve government service delivery and promote social inclusivity.
  2. What is the role of ‘India AI’ in the collaboration with Meta?
    A. To provide AI compute resources to startups and organizations
    B. To offer resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and professionals
    C. To build datasets in Indian Languages using Meta’s AI research models
    D. To establish a Centre of Excellence for AI and Emerging Technologies
    Correct Answer: C. To build datasets in Indian Languages using Meta’s AI research models.
    Explanation: ‘India AI’ is the National AI Portal of India and plays a key role in the collaboration with Meta by using Meta’s AI research models to build datasets in Indian Languages. These datasets will enable translation and large language models, promoting social inclusion and improving government service delivery.
  3. What is the significance of the Centre of Excellence for AI and Emerging Technologies proposed in the MoU?
    A. It aims to provide AI compute resources to researchers and organizations with limited resources.
    B. It focuses on enhancing the startup ecosystem in the field of AI and Emerging Technologies.
    C. It provides a central hub for all things related to AI in India.
    D. It leverages Meta’s AI research models to drive innovation in AI technologies.
    Correct Answer: B. It focuses on enhancing the startup ecosystem in the field of AI and Emerging Technologies.
    Explanation: The Centre of Excellence for AI and Emerging Technologies proposed in the MoU aims to nurture and support the startup ecosystem in the field of AI and other Emerging Technologies. It provides a platform for startups and entrepreneurs to flourish by offering resources and guidance to develop innovative AI-based products and services.
  4. What potential impact does the collaboration between ‘India AI’ and Meta have?
    A. Break language barriers and promote social inclusivity.
    B. Establish a new Ministry of Electronics and IT.
    C. Enhance accessibility to AI compute resources for large organizations.
    D. Create a Centre of Excellence for Social Media Research.
    Correct Answer: A. Break language barriers and promote social inclusivity.
    Explanation: The collaboration between ‘India AI’ and Meta has the potential to break language barriers by leveraging Meta’s AI research models to develop datasets in Indian Languages. This will make technology more accessible to diverse communities, promote social inclusivity, and improve government service delivery, fostering greater citizen engagement.

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