How enhancing data access can boost AI development in India

One of the key factors that can contribute to greater impact through AI deployment is access to data. We specifically need to focus on improving access to vast amounts of high-quality open and proprietary data, which in turn will enable the development of newer and high-impact AI use cases. Data is a critical component of AI development. We require updated, relevant and customized datasets to move towards more sophisticated and capable AI models. These datasets are also needed for the development of newer AI use cases that can automate redundant tasks or solve pertinent challenges. 

Continued development and deployment of complex and capable AI models will require access to both open and proprietary data. This makes the role of the government crucial, as AI policy and other facilitation efforts may help open up government data for wider use in terms of AI innovation in India. In the private sector context, with the right incentives and safeguards, businesses may create new revenue streams by monetizing or licensing their proprietary data.

Our latest report, “Enabling AI development through data access and availability” highlights the need for data and examines how access to datasets has significantly contributed to the development of AI. Governments in United States of America, People’s Republic of China and the European Union have developed the policy and regulatory architecture for both open and proprietary data. These governments have adopted a multifaceted approach covering several key areas, including the interoperability of data, creating standards and guidelines for data governance, ensuring user privacy, and enabling access to data that cannot be released publicly. They have also developed national strategies and established central regulators to maximize the economic and social benefits of AI through effective data use.

In India, recent government initiatives and announcements, such as financial commitments for data access under the IndiaAI mission and the establishment of a National Data Management Office, aim to level the playing field. These initiatives ensure that researchers and startups can continuously focus on innovation while accessing high-quality datasets through data portals. Despite these announcements, initiatives are yet to take shape on the ground. Additionally, the government must put greater emphasis on access to proprietary datasets, which will be a key differentiating factor to fully leverage the AI opportunity. Policy makers have to address several challenges in the policy and regulatory landscape to ensure greater access to datasets.