Paris AI Summit: Addressing Barriers in Emerging AI Ecosystems

At a recent side event of the AI Action Summit in Paris, key policymakers, researchers, and industry experts convened to discuss the principal obstacles hindering the development of robust AI ecosystems in emerging economies. Organized by the Delhi-based Centre of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) in collaboration with AI4India and the Centre for Indo-European Cooperation (CIEC), the two-day summit served as a platform to explore strategies for fostering innovation and economic growth in the Global South.

Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South

Under the theme Data for Development: Building AI in the Global South, discussions centered on addressing the critical challenges that emerging economies face as they seek to establish sustainable AI landscapes. The event featured three distinct panel sessions, each targeting a specific area of interest:

1. Reimagining Economies: AI as a Catalyst for Growth

• Focus: The transformative role of AI in reshaping economic frameworks.
• Discussion Points: Esteemed panelists, including Joel Ruet from CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CRG-i3, and Sean Dougherty, Senior Advisor at the OECD, examined how AI-driven innovations are paving the way for sustainable economic development and growth in the Global South.

2. Data Sovereignty: Steering Leadership in the AI Era

• Focus: Empowering the Global South to assert control over its data assets while ensuring beneficial global collaboration.
• Discussion Points: Key speakers such as Abhishek Singh (Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and CEO of IndiaAI), Gunjan Bhardwaj (Co-founder and CEO of Partex N.V.), and Shashi Shekhar Vempati (Co-founder of AI4India) discussed the imperatives of data governance and sovereignty in a digitally interconnected world.

3. Shaping the Workforce: Mitigating AI's Impact on Labor

• Focus: Navigating the challenges posed by AI on non-skilled and semi-skilled labor sectors.
• Discussion Points: Experts Anthony O'Sullivan (Partner and Director at Whiteshield Partners) and Alok Agrawal (Co-founder of AI4India) provided strategic insights on policy reforms and initiatives to bridge workforce gaps, ensuring inclusive opportunities in an increasingly AI-driven economy.

Conclusion

The Paris AI Summit emphasized the need for targeted policy interventions and collaborative approaches to harness the potential of AI while mitigating its challenges. The event underscored the global significance of empowering emerging economies to build resilient AI ecosystems that can drive sustainable growth, assert data sovereignty, and adapt labor markets to future demands.