Leading IT and tech leaders have hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his candid chat with Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates on various topics, ranging from climate change to food to India’s advancements in digital technology.
A candid conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Business Tycoon and philanthropist Bill Gates about the AI revolution, India’s potential as a tech leader and more was live-streamed on Friday.
The teaser of the “interesting conversation”, where Gates told PM Modi that Indians are not only “adapting” to technology, but also leading the way, was released a day later building heavy anticipation.
“One of the themes that India brings to the table is that technology should be for everyone,” the billionaire said. During a discussion, Prime Minister Modi expressed his ambition to establish digital public infrastructure for rural India.
On Artificial Intelligence (AI), Modi explained to Gates that AI presents considerable challenges globally. He also emphasised the importance of comprehensive training for AI systems and proposed the idea of adding a watermark to AI-generated content.
The prime minister also highlighted his government’s initiatives aimed at empowering women, such as the Namo Drone Didi program, which equips women with drone piloting skills, thereby fostering economic independence and rural development.
Ronnie Screwvala, serial investor and Co-founder/Chairperson of edtech platform upGrad, posted on X: “Really well-spoken @narendramodi. Most of us debate so much about ‘work-life balance’ but the real answer lies here — if we love what we do, that’s the balance.”
Veteran investor and Info Edge Founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani termed the conversation between Bill Gates and PM Modi as “very interesting”.
“Wide range of topics covered — AI, data, climate, Green GDP etc., but the most interesting to me was the niche topic of millets and the PM’s advocacy of the various advantages of these grains in granular detail,” Bikhchandani posted on X. “As a millet consumer, I found it fascinating,” he added.
The conversation between PM Modi and Bill Gates also delved into the transformative role of technology in healthcare.
They explored India’s remarkable success in combating the Covid-19 pandemic with indigenously developed and produced vaccines, highlighting the nation’s self-reliance in crucial healthcare solutions.
Moreover, they also touched upon India’s proactive stance in addressing climate change, underscoring the country’s commitment to sustainable development. (IANS)
