The Telangana government has unveiled its plan to build a 200-acre AI City with an aim to become a global hub for artificial intelligence.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has launched the logo for the project after inaugurating the two-day Global AI Summit at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.
Telangana IT Minister Duddila Sridhar Babu said that the State was not merely participating in the AI race. “We are leading it. This is backed by a robust growth of 11.3 per cent in the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of $176 billion,” he said.
“The AI City would focus on research, development, and application. It will promote ground-breaking innovations in the field of AI. We will also set up an AI School in the AI city,” the minister declared.
As the work begins on the AI City, the State government tied up with the World Trade Centre, Shamshabad, to provide 2 lakh square feet of office space for AI-driven companies, ensuring they can commence operations swiftly while the AI City takes shape.
Earlier addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister acknowledged the concerns around job losses. “Uncertainties and apprehensions are common when a new technology is introduced,” he said.
He said the Telangana AI Mission and Nasscom would help the government in implementing the AI framework in the State. “We will work with the stakeholders as we lay strong foundations for a thriving AI ecosystem,” he said.
Partnerships
In order to promote the AI sector in the State, the government entered into 26 memoranda of understanding with various companies, start-ups and organisations, in the areas of computer infrastructure, start-up innovation, Generative AI, research and collaboration, skilling and data annotation.
Sridhar Babu said the government would put in place an AI governance framework to ensure ethical governance in AI development. The framework will also include stringent regulations to prevent AI misuse, such as deep fakes and AI-driven misinformation, safeguarding democratic processes. “We will follow Japan’s example of balancing ethical AI,” he said.
The government would work with PATH and Nazara Technologies to build Centres of Excellence that would focus on promoting AI in crucial and emerging areas in the State. It also signed agreements with NxtWave, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft to develop talent and promote skill development among the youth. This is expected to benefit over 2.5 lakh students and professionals.
A three-year agreement was signed with Nvidia Corporation to accelerate AI adoption in the State. It will work with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a global research centre, to establish an AI Research Lab. It would help leverage AI to improve governance services and processes.