AI Action Summit: In France, PM Modi says India to build its own large language model

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India is building its own large language model considering the country’s diversity and has developed a unique public-private partnership model to provide affordable computing power to startups and researchers.

Addressing the AI Action Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, Modi said India is ready to share its experience and expertise to ensure that the future of artificial intelligence (AI) is "for good and for all."

“India is building its own large language model considering our diversity. We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like compute power. It is made available to our startups and researchers at an affordable cost,” Modi said.

Highlighting the transformative potential of AI, the prime minister said, “We are at the dawn of the AI age that will shape the course of humanity.”

While concerns exist about machines surpassing human intelligence, the responsibility for shaping the future, he said, lies with humans.

“Some people worry about machines becoming superior in intelligence to humans. But no one holds the key to our collective future and shared destiny other than us humans. That sense of responsibility must guide us,” the prime minister said.

Modi drew parallels between the India-France partnership in AI and their collaboration in sustainability through the International Solar Alliance. “As we advance our partnership to AI, it is a natural progression from sustainability to innovation to shape a smarter and responsible future,” he noted.

He stressed the importance of sustainable AI, not just in terms of clean energy usage but also in the efficiency of AI models.

“Sustainable AI does not only mean using clean energy. AI models must also be efficient and sustainable in size, data needs, and resource requirements. After all, the human brain manages to compose poetry and design spaceships using less power than most light bulbs,” he remarked.

The prime minister also highlighted India's success in building a digital public infrastructure for over 1.4 billion people at a low cost, describing it as an open and accessible network with robust regulations and diverse applications to modernise the economy, reform governance, and transform lives.

“Governance is not just about managing rifts and rivalries. It is also about promoting innovation and deploying it for the global good…AI can help transform millions of lives by improving health, education, agriculture, and much more,” he said, stressing the need to address concerns related to cybersecurity, disinformation, and deepfakes.

Modi on France visit

Modi arrived in France on Monday on a three-day visit to co-chair the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and hold bilateral talks. In the evening, he attended a dinner hosted by Macron at the Élysée Palace in honour of visiting heads of government and state.

Modi and Macron will hold discussions in both restricted and delegation formats and address the India-France CEO's Forum. The bilateral segment of the visit will provide an opportunity to review progress on the 2047 Horizon Roadmap for the India-France strategic partnership, Modi had said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the two leaders will visit the Mazargues War Cemetery in Marseille to pay tribute to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I. They will also inaugurate the newest Consulate General of India in Marseille and visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project site in Cadarache, where India is a consortium partner.

“We will also travel to the historic French city of Marseille to inaugurate the first Indian Consulate in France and visit the ITER project, in which India is a member of the consortium of partner countries including France, to harness energy for the global good,” Modi said.

This is Modi’s sixth visit to France. He will travel to the United States on the second leg of his two-nation tour.