AFP: India seeks its 'DeepSeek moment' with homegrown AI model.
But the final product may not 'match' ChatGPT or China's DeepSeek.
Article published by AFP on April 4.
Emerging Indian artificial intelligence companies showcased indigenous technology at a major summit in New Delhi, highlighting their grand ambition to become global leaders in AI.
However, analysts say India is unlikely to experience a "DeepSeek moment" anytime soon—the kind of boom China witnessed last year thanks to a high-performance, low-cost chatbot.
Still, developing customized AI tools could bring significant benefits to the world's most populous nation.
At the AI Impact Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised three new models launched by Indian enterprises, as well as other growing examples of India’s rising influence in this field.
One startup that drew major attention at the summit was Sarvam AI, which this week unveiled two large language models claiming they were trained from scratch in India.
Meanwhile, the government-backed "BharatGen" initiative, led by a research team from a university in Mumbai, also launched a new multilingual AI model this week.
"Sovereign AI" has become a priority for many nations aiming to reduce dependence on U.S. and Chinese platforms while ensuring systems comply with local regulations, including data privacy.
On Thursday, Modi stated that AI models successful in India "can be deployed worldwide."
Experts note that India already possesses significant advantages—such as technological diffusion, a strong talent pool, and affordable labor—and with focused effort, startups can successfully transition into the AI space.
"But the final product may not 'match' ChatGPT or DeepSeek in benchmark tests; however, it will help the Global South secure its own foothold in an increasingly polarized world."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861492802536460/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.