Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma calls AI a once-in-a-generation opportunity for India
New Delhi, July 29
Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma has described artificial intelligence as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for India to create new jobs, build large new economic opportunities and emerge as a global technology leader.
Sharing his views on X during a discussion around the impact of AI, Sharma said he felt bad when new job creation and new economy creation opportunities were viewed primarily as risks of the technology.
He said the early impact and opportunities of technology platforms are often overblown, while their deeper impact is understood only later. As a profound technology, AI offers India a single opportunity to build at scale, let innovation bloom and prosper, and move into the global technology top league.
Referring to social networks, Sharma noted that they were not created as job creators or job eaters. Over time, however, mainstream media became affected as revenues flowed to big technology companies and narrative-setting increasingly became company policy instead of editorial input.
For India, Sharma said the Government of India's semiconductor initiatives and the IndiaAI Mission are perfectly aligned with the country's opportunity to build global leadership in AI.
He also referred to discussions in the United States around data centres and water usage, saying India should protect its AI opportunity and continue moving forward with focus and ambition.
Sharma said India can go all-in on AI and use the technology to leapfrog to its next level of economic and technological growth.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Vijay Shekhar Sharma has a point about social media — the deeper impact is only understood later. AI is similar. Companies like Paytm show we have the talent, but government policies must be robust to avoid a "brain drain." This is indeed a once-in-a-generation opportunity if we don't squander it.
I'm cautiously optimistic. AI will definitely create new jobs but we can't ignore the disruption it will cause in traditional sectors. The IndiaAI Mission is good but we need to educate our workforce too, especially in rural areas. Otherwise, the gap between urban and rural India will widen. 🤔
All this talk about AI is fine, but what about basic internet connectivity in tier-2 and tier-3 cities? If we can't even provide stable 4G, how will we build AI leadership? First fix the fundamentals, then aim for the stars. Just my two paise.
Interesting perspective from India. In the US, we're worried about AI taking jobs and water usage for data centers. But if India can avoid those pitfalls while leveraging its massive tech talent pool, it could leapfrog many developed nations. The semiconductor push is a smart move too. Good luck!
Great vision from Mr Sharma, but I worry about concentration of power. If AI development is only in the hands of a few big companies like Paytm, it might not benefit everyone equally. We need open-source AI and public investment in education to ensure the benefits reach the common man. Otherwise, it's just another rich-get-richer story.