A federal US Commission recommends India-US to build a tech alliance

Washington/New Delhi: A US commission has recommended that the United States should form a Strategic Tech Alliance with India, in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other sectors, to make the US policy regarding the Indo-Pacific sector, more comprehensive. Recently, a summit in the AI Sector was held in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the goal is to make India the global centre for this sector. India has signed agreements with countries like Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, pertaining to the Artificial Intelligence sector. Against this background, the recommendation of the US commission becomes significant.

A few months ago, the United States established the ‘National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’. This commission submitted its report to President Trump and the US Congress, which recommends opening a technology front with India. The commission has recommended that the front should include defence, trade and energy departments, along with the State Department. The US commission also pointed out that India has expedited development of infrastructure in the AI sector. At the same time, the commission also pointed out that India has the technical skills available and nearly 70% of the foreigners employed by the US companies, are Indians.

There is a background of the QUAD cooperation, developing in the Indo-Pacific, for the recommendations of the US commission. The QUAD group has been formed with the initiative taken by the United States and the commission said that AI could be used to strengthen the relations between the partner countries. It is also claimed that along with QUAD, AI in defence and security sectors, could be used to strengthen relations with the other countries in the Indo-Pacific sector.

The commission has said that the cooperation in the AI sector will prove important to dominate the global competition in the technology sector and to preserve the free and open social systems. The commission has recommended that for this the United States must establish a front with India, one of the big democracies in the world, in the technology sector. The ‘National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’ has also appealed that the United States should use AI to increase cooperation with India, in line with its Indo-Pacific policy. The commission has also said that the United States should start research and development projects with India, under the ‘US-India Strategic Trade Alliance’. The report also says that use of AI for exchange of skills, investments, export of technology-related factors, intellectual property rights and spread of fake information, in the sector, could form a part of the US-India collaboration in this sector.

In the last few years, India is making strong efforts to take the lead in the technology and manufacturing sector. India has strengthened these efforts against the background of growing resentment against China, in view of the Coronavirus pandemic. These also include advanced technologies like AI. In May, the Indian government launched the ‘National Artificial Intelligence Portal of India’. This portal will function as ‘One Stop Digital Platform’ for the AI Sector in India. Before this India has also launched the scheme ‘Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Youth’. India has taken the initiative to partner with the leading countries in the sector and the recently signed agreement, with Japan, endorses the intent.

In the last few years, China has made substantial advanced in the AI sector and this country it trying for global domination in the sector. Indications are being received from the report that the United States has started its activities to counter China and the formation of a front with India, could prove to be the decisive factor in the plan.