Will AI Be Private Sector-Led Or State Controlled? What Top Official Said

As Artificial Intelligence is making inroads in every aspect of life, the pertinent question being asked the world over is how it will be governed - and who will control it. For the first time in history, humans are arguably not the most intelligent in the universe - and therefore the model on which AI will evolve becomes crucial.

While research and development of AI is happening across the developed and developing world, so far, there are two leading models - the US-led private sector model, which is questioned over its for-profit vision, and the China-led government or State-controlled model, which may lead to AI becoming a subject of modern dystopia.

Speaking about the future of Artificial Intelligence, AI expert and envoy Martin Tisne told NDTV World that "The future of AI is open. It is not private or public - I firmly believe it is both."

"For this to be the case," he said "we need three things:"

"First - We need to share data. I think the bottleneck in AI will increasingly become 'data' - as much as could be computed, if not more. When it comes to sharing or accessing data, the State plays a very important role," he explained, suggesting a high-level of government involvement.

He noted that "To ensure the future of AI is open, keeping an open source AI is critical. (Such) an ecosystem needs support in order to be resilient - and this is something where both the private sector and public sector will play crucial roles."

"Third is the participation of citizens. This is very important," he said, adding that "For example, when it comes to AI in healthcare and sharing sensitive health data, we need to be working with patient data organisations, and again, this can be done at the intersection of the public as well as private sectors," he said.

"So, I think it is a combination of both. In order to bend the arc of AI towards the public interest, we need both the public sector and the private sector on board," suggesting that AI models are still evolving rapidly.

Speaking about the AI Summit in Paris, which will also see participation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Tinse said, "Our focus here is to unlock opportunities and minimize harms while working with both sectors - private and public."

France is hosting the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit on February 10-11, 2025. The seminar, being organised at the Grand Palais in Paris, will see participation by Heads of State and governments, leaders of international organisations, CEOs of small and large companies, representatives of academia, non-governmental organisations, artists, and members of civil society."

PM Modi has said that he looks forward to co-chairing the AI Action Summit - a gathering of world leaders and global tech CEOs. He said he looks forward to an exchange of views on a collaborative approach to AI technology for innovation and the larger public good in an inclusive, secure and trustworthy manner.

PM Modi is visiting France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron. He will be in Paris from February 10 to February 12, before flying to the US for a two-day visit where he will meet President Donald Trump.