CEA flags AI risks, warns against exclusion

New Delhi: India should adopt a proactive approach towards safety and security aspects of AI, mainly in the financial sector, chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said Friday. He emphasised that AI shouldn't be allowed to "become a tool or a filter for exclusion".

"I think the focus right now has to be both from an Indian and a global perspective on the safety and security dimension, because with the temptation to take advantage of technology gains, we should not lose what we already have," Nageswaran said, speaking at Assocham's FinTech festival. He also highlighted the efficiency of AI in certain use cases. AI can help financial entities analyse creditworthiness of potential borrowers more effectively and flag default risks and financial stress at an earlier stage, he said, while calling for steps to ensure this new-age technology doesn't cause exclusion.

The CEA said the next two decades would be "much harder" for India than since the 1991 reforms, given the elevated external headwinds that may continue to pose risks. India aims to become a developed nation by 2047.


The challenges that India faces include those being posed by climate change, technology, geopolitics, and the weaponisation of various capabilities globally, he said. "All of us in this room and outside, private sector and public sector, have to up our game substantially for the next 20 years," he said.