India, China lead in user engagement with AI technologies: Report

The engagement with artificial intelligence is ‘markedly’ higher in India, along with China at 64% and 70%, respectively, according to a recent report. The AI engagement metric here refers to the use of the technology at work, and the global average is 38%, a report by UK-headquartered business improvement and standards company British Standards Institute (BSI) that surveyed 10,000 people in nine countries.

Notably, BSI’s data also showed that in India, 80% of the respondents showed excitement around the use and benefits of AI in healthcare. A majority of Indian respondents said that AI could ease pressure on healthcare workers and can potentially improve the accuracy of diagnosis and speed up recovery time. 

 “With only 64 doctors available per 1,000,000 people in India – compared to the global average of 150 – AI could offer the opportunity to relieve pressure on elements of India’s healthcare industry in the years to come. As deep learning and algorithms improve in the coming years, combining the expertise of researchers and doctors and the data analysis skills of AI could pave the way for even more medical advancements, benefiting patients and all of us across Indian society,” said Theuns Kotze, managing director (assurance), BSI (IMETA)in an email response to TechCircle.

India and China also lead when it comes to higher use of AI-powered technology like digital assistant Alexa. However, globally there is a lack of awareness that such daily use tools incorporate AI – for instance, close to 50% of the interviewed respondents were unclear whether smartphones use AI. 

BSI’s Kotze also said that there are multiple India-specific AI usage for good in areas like agriculture, nurturing startups, air travel, biometrics, and hiring, still, there is a need to build trust in the technology. “Although 64% of people in India say they use AI at work day-to-day, well above the global average of 38%, there are still many people in India who lack trust or confidence in AI – and indeed still many people in India who are not using the internet at all,” he added.

Notably, on October 13, MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that India will support the development of artificial intelligence (AI) chips through a private-public partnership (PPP) model, based on the recommendations of a Center-appointed committee. The government also showcased a report on India’s AI program which is expected to be an enabler for the country’s goal of achieving $1 trillion digital economy by 2026.