‘Disruptions caused by Artificial Intelligence are coming sooner than we think’ was the message that came out of the AI Impact Summit in Delhi on Thursday, 19 February.

Even as speakers dutifully lauded India for taking giant strides in AI and tech companies announced plans to expand their footprints in India, it turned out to be yet another embarrassing day for the organisers. Entrepreneurs and visitors alike seemed mildly critical of the emphasis on VIPs and VIP culture at the summit. Poor organisation also came in for criticism.

The summit was, of course, used as a brand-promotion opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There were awkward moments as he insisted on joining hands with Google chief Sundar Pichai and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman who flanked him.

"I was sort of confused and didn't know what I was supposed to do," explained Altman later when asked if he deliberately avoided taking the arms of Dario Amodei, CEO of his rival company Anthropic, who was standing next to him.

Both of them, bewildered by the juvenile gesture, stood awkwardly with their fists in the air. "I didn't know what was happening," Altman said. "I was sort of confused, like Modi grabbed my hand and put it up, and I just wasn't sure what we were supposed to be doing,”.

The summit will be remembered for the bombastic claims made by several Indian participants and BJP spokespersons. A........

© National Herald