Artificial Intelligence is Optimising and Automating Digital Technologies: Kundana Lal

Mr Kundana Lal, President of Vitti Research Foundation, in a guest lecture with JECRC University, talked on the topic - Rise of AI and Impact on Industrial and Social Fabric. Mr Lal, an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in leading IT businesses, spoke with the motto to evangelise an accelerated growth of Artificial Intelligence Research and Implementation in India.

The lecture started with the narrative that AI will be a disruptive force. He underlined that we need to understand the increasing role and development of AI and appreciate its impact. He also distinguished between Artificial intelligence, as we know it today and Artificial Super Intelligence, the future of AI. Kundana Lal quoted Vernor Vinge that the physical extinction of the human race is one possibility. Thus, to prevent (or delay the event as much as possible) we need to have an AI strategy in place.

Importance of AI Strategy

“Wherever there is data, there is an impact and AI is delivering a Return on Investment today. Where there is no data, we are putting a digital strategy in place to collect data, so that we use AI. And we are increasingly becoming digital. From taking online classes to giving exams during the lockdown, we are using digital technologies. Even for applying for an Aadhar card and Driver's License, we are using digital technologies. With this digitization, AI is walking in more and more. AI thrives on Digital,ˮ said, Mr Lal.

“Thus, AI is ensuring that we have humungous computing capabilities on cloud. Artificial Intelligence is optimising and automating Digital Technologies. The industry is moving from programming to training AI now, from imperative, we are becoming declarative. Data, in the hyper-competitive digital enterprise, is becoming an asset as opposed to a burden. Thus, if we do not have an AI strategy in place, as Devin Wenig of eBay puts it, we are going to die in the coming world. We need to have an AI strategy in place to drive future competitive advantage. Because in a subsymbolic world, AI will be all around us. To take advantage of emerging technologies, such as AI, we need to have the right infrastructure in place, aligned to the right strategy,ˮ he concluded.