Indian scientists are leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) to revolutionise material discovery. They employ techniques such as muti-property pre-training and transfer learning to achieve unparalleled accuracy in material properties forecasting. This breakthrough will significantly impact the development of advanced semiconductors and more efficient energy storage solutions.

Material science is fundamental for developing technologies ranging from semiconductor materials to renewable energy. However, traditional methods are often slow, labour-intensive and expensive. These experiential methods hinder the discovery of novel materials. Here, machine learning is a viable solution that allows accurate and rapid forecasting of material properties from existing data.

The IISC (Indian Institute of Science) researchers employed GNNs (Graph Neural Networks) to model intricate 3D structures of material. The team attained remarkable success in forecasting critical material properties by carefully optimising the GNN architecture and fine-tuning the size of training datasets.

IISc team, led by assistant professor Gopalakrishnan said, “AI enables us to leverage existing knowledge for discoveries, accelerating the pace of innovation and expanding the boundaries of possibility.”

The IISc research demonstrates how AI can drive collaborative efforts and address critical national needs. Leveraging AI, India is not only advancing material science but also solidifying its position as a leader in technology.

Source: https://indiaai.gov.in/article/ai-revolutionizing-material-discovery-indian-scientists-forecast-new-properties

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mumbai Devendra Fadnavis asked the state transport department to leverage AI (artificial intelligence) to reduce road accidents. He also directed the officials to enforce policies to scrap 15+ year old vehicles including ST buses and 13,000 govt vehicles.

This involves implementing AI-powered technologies to identify potential hazards, analyse traffic patterns, and improve traffic management systems. The initiative to scrap 15+ years old vehicles will remove ageing and potentially unsafe vehicles from the road. This will significantly minimise the risk of accidents on the road.

Fadvanis said that in the next 3 years, a new EV (electric vehicle) policy will be announced.

By leveraging AI and enforcing stricter limits on vehicle age, the state aims to make the transportation system more efficient and roads much safer.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/cm-asks-officials-to-use-ai-for-rd-safety-scrap-15-year-plus-vehicles/articleshow/116807353.cms

Microsoft India President Puneet Chandok outlined the company’s vision to democratise AI (artificial intelligence) in 2025. From boardrooms to classrooms, commerce to communities, and finance to farmers, this ambitious plan aims to make AI accessible to all in India.

This initiative involves strategies to expand training programs that streamline AI-powered tools for non-technical users and partnering with educational institutions.

Microsoft India believes that making AI accessible to all will bridge the divide between urban and rural. Chandok stated “What began as cautious experimentation has evolved into full-scale implementation, particularly in banking, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and IT-enabled services. “We’ve witnessed a fundamental shift in how businesses perceive and implement AI,”

“We envision AI tools reaching classrooms in remote villages, small businesses in tier-2 cities, and entrepreneurs across the country.” “Our mission extends beyond corporate boardrooms,” Chandok explained.

This approach aligns with India’s digital transformation objectives, with the potential to benefit millions nationwide. As AI advances, Microsoft’s emphasis on its democratisation will significantly influence India’s technological landscape in the years to come.

Source: https://www.itvoice.in/microsoft-india-president-on-why-the-company-wants-to-democratize-ai-in-2025

Companies around the world are leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) to interact with customers. This inclination indicates that customer support significantly depends on AI.

Recent research indicated that India’s call centre customer support market is $33 billion as of December 2024. Additionally, AI-powered systems will directly handle over 50% of customer communications. This will help companies significantly reduce operational costs by more than $400 million per year.

In an interview, K Kirthivasan, CEO of Tata Consultancy Services said “In an ideal phase, there should be minimal incoming call centres. At present, the technology should be able to predict a call and proactively address the customer’s pain point.” He believes AI could significantly impact the traditional call centre model.

The Indian AI-powered customer service market has seen significant growth, with eighteen startups collectively raising over $600 million in funding in the past four years. Gupshup, a conversational messaging platform founded in 2004 has been a major contributor, securing over $400 million in investments.

Several leading payment platforms and e-commerce companies have adopted AI customer support. Meesho, one of the leading e-commerce platforms have launched its gen AI-powered voice bot that handles up to 60,000 calls daily, 95% queries and observed a 50% improvement in response time.

AI-driven chatbots handle 90% of PhonePe’s customer service. This leading payment company has cut its customer support team by 60% in the past five years.

However, an EY report earlier this year indicated that 78% of consumers still prefer human customer support over chatbots. Additionally, 60% of people are not comfortable sharing their personal information with AI-enabled systems as they prefer human interaction more.

While the considerable inclination towards AI suggests that customer support in India is likely to be transformed, these reports indicate this technology will not replace human agents completely.

Source: https://analyticsindiamag.com/ai-features/will-ai-end-indias-30-billion-customer-support-industry/

Recent research and expert opinions suggest that AI (artificial intelligence) has the potential to transform education for students with different disabilities including visual, speech, language, and hearing impairments. However, schools are still in the stage of understanding and implementing AI-powered technologies.

For Makenzie Gilkison, a student in the National Junior Honor Society spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “sarcastic. Reading is a significant challenge for this 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis. Although she can verbalise words, dyslexia makes the process very exhausting for her as it impacts her ability to understand what she reads.

Gilkison, while recalling her early childhood years, said “I just assumed I was stupid,”. She thanked AI-powered assistive technology, a word prediction program and other tools for enabling her to succeed academically.

“I would have just probably given up if I didn’t have them,” she added.

AI has the potential to significantly assist students with various disabilities in performing tasks that may be challenging for them. While schools in the United States are still exploring the best methods to integrate AI, many are prioritising its use to support students with disabilities.

US Education Department is prioritising accessibility of the latest tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices for students with disabilities.

Overall, AI has the potential to revolutionise education for disabled students. In India, if schools overcome the challenges and embrace AI benefits, it can also create an unbiased and inclusive learning environment for all students including those with disabilities.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/ai-is-a-game-changer-for-students-with-disabilities-but-schools-are-still-learning-to-harness-it/article69032098.ece

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is about to undergo a profound transformation driven by AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) in 2025. These two technologies will revolutionise drug discovery, development, manufacturing, and patient care. This advancement will propel the country to lead global pharmaceutical innovation.

Here are the key pharma areas that AI and ML will impact:

• Quick drug discovery and development.
• Progress in CAR-T cell therapy, mRNA vaccines, and complex molecules.
• Creating personalised medicine and treatment plans.
• Increased efficiency and cost reduction in manufacturing and supply chain.
• Improved diagnosis and identification of potential risks.

Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) said ‘’Indian pharma market is projected to reach $120-130 billion by 2030 which is $58 billion currently. ‘’Given the conducive policies and the advantage of demographic and digital talent, India will play a pivotal role in advancing global health for all in years to come’’.

“Additionally, the industry is set to make notable progress in areas such as CAR-T cell therapy, mRNA vaccines, and the development of complex molecules, which hold immense potential for driving future growth,” he added.

Jain stated, “A focus on research excellence and innovation will position India as a global hub for high-quality, affordable pharmaceuticals. Collaboration between policymakers, academia and industry stakeholders will address unmet medical needs, particularly in underserved regions,”

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/ai-machine-learning-to-help-indian-pharma-industry-to-pivot-on-innovation-124122600255_1.html

Many Indian firms are increasingly adopting AI-powered cybersecurity solutions to combat the evolving and sophisticated cybercrime landscape. AI-powered cybersecurity solutions can analyse large datasets, detect anomalies, and adapt to new and refined threats. Undeniably, these tools are valuable in defending against cyberattacks.

AI-powered cybersecurity solutions can help Indian firms to:

• Detect and prevent cyberattacks more effectively: AI algorithms can analyse network traffic, identify suspicious patterns, and detect malicious activity in real time. This can help to prevent cyberattacks from occurring from the beginning.
• Respond to cyberattacks more quickly: If a cyberattack occurs, AI-powered solutions can help identify the source of the attacks and contain the damage. This can help minimise the attack’s impact and reduce the time to recover.
• Reduce the cost of cybersecurity: AI-powered solutions can automate many of the tasks that are performed by human cybersecurity professionals. This can help to reduce the cost of cybersecurity for Indian firms.

While the use of AI-powered cybersecurity solutions is still in its early stages, it is expected to become increasingly important in the years to come. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and evolving at a great pace, AI will be essential for helping Indian firms stay safe.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/industry/indian-firms-tighten-ai-defences-as-cybercrime-gets-more-sophisticated-11735124456428.html

Sunday 22, Dec, 24: US President-elect Donald announced that Sriram Krishnan will be an AI (artificial intelligence) policy advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Krishnan will work closely with David Sacks who is the newly appointed crypto and AI ‘czar’ at the office. They will work together to shape AI policy throughout the government.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “Sriram Krishnan will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in AI and help shape and coordinate AI policy across Government, including working with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.”

In response to his post, Krishnan wrote, “I’m honoured to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI. Thank you, Donald Trump, for this opportunity.

Krishnan has led product teams at several big tech companies including Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and Snap.

Krishan was a founding member of Windows Azure at Microsoft. Recently, he was leading Andreessen Horowitz (London office). He has publicly expressed his views on AI developments, proposing novel methods for websites to engage with AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Krishnan shares a close relationship with Elon Musk. He gained a lot of attention when he was working with Elon Musk during Twitter transformation. His profound insights into AI and social media trends positioned him as a thought leader and contributed significantly to his reputation.

Source:

https://bestofai.com/article/sriram-krishnan-named-trumps-senior-policy-advisor-for-ai-techcrunch

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/trump-appoints-indian-american-entrepreneur-sriram-krishnan-policy-advisor-9739728/