India's first quantum computing-based telecom network link now operational: Ashwini Vaishnaw

IT and telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said the country's first quantum computing-based telecom network link is now operational in the national capital.

While speaking at the first international quantum enclave, Vaishnaw said the quantum communication link is now operational between Sanchar Bhawan and National Informatics Centre office located in CGO Complex in the national capital.

"The first quantum secure communication link between Sanchar Bhawan and NIC, CGO complex is now operational," Vaishnaw said and announced a Rs 10 lakh prize money for ethical hackers who can break the encryption of the system.


"We are also launching a hackathon, a challenge round, for anybody who breaks this system and system developed by C-DoT, we will be giving Rs 10 lakh per break," Vaishnaw said.

The minister inaugurated a small exhibition of quantum computing firms and invited them to run pilot projects for communications networks and Indian Railways.

Conversation AI chatbot soon?

Vaishnaw on Monday hinted at a "big announcement" in a few weeks regarding conversational AI tools. To a specific question on whether India can build something equivalent to the conversational AI tool ChatGPT, the minister said "wait for a few weeks, there will be a big announcement".

When asked about what the big announcement might will be, the minister declined to give further details and said, "Parliament is in session, so I cannot say anything..."

Vaishnaw was speaking at the India Global Forum event.

It is pertinent to mention that ChatGPT has dazzled the world with its conversational skills and triggered an AI (Artificial Intelligence) chatbot race.

The new AI chatbot tool - created by the San Francisco artificial intelligence company OpenAI - has over the past weeks exploded in popularity and grabbed headlines.

It can be tasked to provide definitive answers to questions, responds to user prompts, and based on online information, it can churn out scripts, speeches, song lyrics, homework material, articles, marketing copy, classroom essays and even draft research paper abstracts.