Vice President,
SAS Data Ethics Practice
The rapid proliferation of AI technologies is creating personal, professional and community-based opportunities around the world. However, as with any ubiquitous innovation, there is a risk that large chunks of the global population will be left behind. Unfortunately, those usually affected are those people and regions that can least afford to miss out on the benefits.
This concern is at the heart of a recent partnership between SAS, the American data and AI provider where I head data ethics, and the Commonwealth AI Consortium (CAIC). CAIC and SAS are collaborating to build a more diverse, global AI workforce by bringing AI software and computing resources to Commonwealth countries. A donation of SAS software, computing capacity and training includes trustworthy AI capabilities and content that will not only help higher education students learn how to develop AI, but how to do so responsibly.
As the head of data ethics guiding the responsible innovation efforts at SAS, my team helps build the culture, processes and technologies to support trustworthy AI internally and externally. That leads to collaborations with like-minded organizations like CoRE-AI, a coalition that aims to harness the power of AI for positive impact and social good in India, which we recently joined.
India’s national AI strategy aligns with CoRE-AI and similar organizations globally with a focus on inclusivity, and a goal of ensuring that AI’s benefits reach all corners of society. In my view, that must start with enabling an AI literate population.
AI literacy helps people gain a clear understanding of the capabilities of AI that are frequently lost in hype-driven news cycles about AI. Fundamental AI literacy will give people the confidence to engage policymakers, employers, even neighbors in their communities about how best to use AI to improve lives. Once we can rationalize risk and reward for ourselves, we can ensure that AI is something that is done for us, not to us.
Widespread availability of AI could empower societies in unprecedented fashion. Women, economically disadvantaged and minority populations have not historically participated in tech booms the way men with access to capital and people networks have. For example, popular generative AI services reduce the need for capital that small businesses may have needed even a few years ago. Taking advantage begins with AI literacy.
At a national level, widespread AI literacy could supercharge economic opportunities, the kind of which India is uniquely positioned with its increasing educational attainment and growth rate. Despite the “brain drain” India has endured, it remains blessed with a large talent pool of young people with data skills.
Those people, and others, should seek to enhance their skills with the latest in AI technologies and seek out opportunities to work on real-world challenges with real data. Fortunately, many Indian universities are already on that path. For our part, the CAIC collaboration, the SAS global hackathon and SAS Viya for Learners, which is free to university students and educators, are some of the ways we support AI skill development.
In addition, SAS India has academic partnerships for course delivery and research at UG, PG and Doctorate levels with colleges and universities across India. Beyond the IIMs, we collaborate with institutes like the Ganpat University, Goa Institute of Management, Chandigarh University, Amity University, Doon Business School and Guru Nanak College amongst others.
We also work with government bodies like the Rajasthan Centre of Advanced Technology (R-CAT) for state-wide skilling of youth on the application of technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Built on a base of AI literacy, India can foster a strong AI economy where homegrown talent stays, entrepreneurs and start-ups thrive, and where people from all parts of society can learn to use AI
innovatively and responsibly.
– Reggie Townsend is the Vice President at SAS Data Ethics Practice