India leads the world in optimism around AI amid govt push: Report

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) India is leading the world in optimism around artificial intelligence (AI), with 82 per cent of those surveyed in the country expect to benefit personally from AI in the next five years, significantly higher than the global average of 54 per cent, a Google report said on Tuesday.

Over 70 per cent of respondents in India said they already sense the positive impact of AI, perceiving its effects the most on the ways they access information, according to the report by Google and market research firm Ipsos.

“India’s digital success – powered by the tech forwardness of its institutions, enterprises and its people – provides it a head start in leveraging the tectonic shifts AI is enabling worldwide,” said Sanjay Gupta, Country Head and Vice President, Google India.

“We are committed to deliver on this immense confidence with our India-first approach, deepening our partnerships with government and the ecosystem to widen the impact of our AI leadership, ensuring that every new innovation unlocks aspirations of the individual and the country,” Gupta added.

When asked about a future with AI, nearly twice as many as those expecting positive short-term impact indicated that AI will address the entire spectrum of development over the next 25 years.

Around 20 per cent of Indians singled out building the economy - by encouraging competition, innovation, and growth - as a top AI priority for the government.

“Furthermore, Indians felt that the application of AI will be important across health, security and climate, but equally in personalised education, improved accessibility and space exploration,” the findings showed.

Significantly greater than a global average of 65 per cent, 95 per cent of Indians talked about AI in their workplaces.

The proportion of people who felt that the ecosystem-wide changes AI will drive for jobs and industries in the next five years will be, “a good thing,” was highest in India at 75 per cent, according to the report.

“As people around our world deal with multiple challenges, it is important to also be aware of the great potential this moment presents,” said Ben Page, CEO, Ipsos.