RAISE 2020 Summit: IBM ties up with govt e-marketplace to create centre of excellence for AI in India

IBM announced the creation of an AI centre of excellence in partnership with the government e-marketplace during the inaugural session of RAISE 2020 virtual summit on Monday. The AI centre of excellence's goal will be to apply the power of AI to improve usability and transparency and drive efficiency and cost savings in public procurement.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Artificial intelligence is a tribute to human intellectual power. The power to think enabled humans to make tools and technologies. Today, these tools and technologies have also acquired the power to learn and think! In this, one key emerging technology is AI. The teamwork of AI with humans can do wonders for our planet."

"I firmly believe that India can lead the AI technology revolution. India has the world's largest community of developers, a large startup ecosystem, and a strong scientific and engineering culture. And I have to congratulate the government for digital innovation is the success of the UPI system, which has broken the barrier of more than a billion transactions per month, electronic delivery of government services, the direct benefit transfer scheme or the program to create a robust internet infrastructure," Dr Arvind Krishna, CEO, IBM, said.

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He said the increase in digital literacy and programmes have given access for millions to the banking system. "And to the government's remarkable efforts. I'm happy to announce that we are creating an AI Center of Excellence in partnership with the government, a marketplace agenda. Our goal is to apply the power of AI, to improve usability and prosperity, and drive efficiency and cost savings in public procurement," says Dr Krishna.

Stating a few examples in the field such as agriculture, where globally the world will need to feed 2 billion more people with no increase in arable land by the year 2050. In India, IBM is collaborating with the local government in the state of Karnataka and Niti Aayog to deploy precision agriculture solutions that combine AI and weather data to help farmers make a better decision.

"AI is one of the biggest technology revolutions of our time. I am convinced that India is uniquely positioned to lead the innovation engine of the technology industry. It is no longer Moore's law but data in the same way that we electrified factories and machines over the last hundred years. We will infuse AI into software and systems in the 21st century at a global level. AI will unlock $15.7 trillion in productivity by 2030, and has the potential to not only boost economic growth but improve the livelihoods of millions around the world," adds Krishna.

The virtual summit RAISE 2020 is pegged to be a platform for the global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education and smart mobility, among other sectors.

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