India, despite being a renowned global technology hub, is trailing significantly behind countries like the United States and China in developing indigenous artificial intelligence capabilities. This shortfall stems from historical underinvestment in research and development, weak institutional frameworks, and a lack of significant breakthrough inventions. Additionally, the country´s linguistic diversity poses unique challenges for training large language models, as no single Indian language dominates, complicating the effort to build robust, widely accessible tools.
The shock of DeepSeek-R1, a new open-source foundational model from a Chinese startup outperforming its international competitors, prompted Indian policymakers to recognize the country´s lag in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The rapid global advancement, especially from China, has catalyzed a sense of urgency among India´s technology leaders, who are now prioritizing the development of strategic artificial intelligence frameworks and investment into domestic initiatives. As government agencies and private entities rally to close the gap, the country faces a critical juncture to define its role in the future artificial intelligence landscape.
In a different sphere shaped by the intersection of technology and risk, the emergence of specialists like Conor Browne, dubbed a pandemic oracle, illustrates how predictive analytics and expertise can provide foresight into potential global disruptions. Browne, leveraging his background in security and medical ethics, accurately forecasted the trajectory and impact of COVID-19, signaling the rising importance of data-driven consultancy roles in public health preparedness and business continuity. Meanwhile, the proliferation of new technologies such as deepfake-generated digital avatars is stirring debate in China, where people are hiring companies to digitally resurrect deceased loved ones. As thousands adopt these services, the ethical and legal complexities of engaging with artificial replicas for mourning and healing are becoming increasingly pronounced, generating vital discourse on the societal implications of artificial intelligence deployments.
