Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates about the dangers associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and said people can misuse the technology if they are not given proper training. He also said if people used AI as a magic tool, it would lead to "grave injustice".
In a freewheeling conversation, PM Modi said he suggested that AI-generated content should have a watermark in a bid to combat the issue of deepfakes.
"If such a good thing (AI) is given to someone without proper training, it is likely to be misused. I suggest that we should start with clear watermarks on AI-generated content so that nobody is misguided. In a democratic country like India, anybody can use deepfake," he told Bill Gates.
"It's crucial to acknowledge that deepfake content is AI-generated. We need to think about some dos and don'ts," the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi's remarks come at a time when several deepfake videos and photos of Bollywood actors, sportspersons and other renowned people have surfaced, triggering concerns about the misuse of AI.
During the conversation, PM Modi called for the usage of AI tools such as ChatGPT to improve human productivity but warned that those using the technology "lazily" are choosing the wrong path.
"If we use AI as a magic tool, it will perhaps lead to a grave injustice. If AI is relied on out of laziness, then it is the wrong path. I should have a competition with ChatGPT and strive to get ahead of AI and challenge it," he said.
On his part, Bill Gates acknowledged the usefulness of AI and said while it is a "huge opportunity", it also brings along a "few challenges" that need to be addressed.
"These are early days in AI. It will do things that you think are hard and then it will fail to do something, which you think is easy. It seems like AI is a huge opportunity, but there are a few challenges that come with it," he said.
He also told Bill Gates how his Hindi speech was translated into Tamil during the Kashi Tamil Sangamam event in Varanasi last year and underlined that India will "gain a lot" during the fourth industrial revolution or 'Industry 4.0'.
"Historically, during the first and second industrial revolutions, we lagged behind because we were a colony. Now, in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution, the digital element is at its core. I am confident that India will gain a lot in this," he said.
