New Delhi [India], September 21 : India is likely to emerge as a global leader in the number of artificial intelligence (AI) projects, said Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director and President of Microsoft India Development Center.
Addressing the Microsoft AI Infrastructure Summit India, Kumar highlighted the transition to AI presents companies with the challenge of building new solutions while continuing to maintain and evolve their existing core capabilities.
“As you build AI-based solutions, the question is what happens to your existing core competencies. You have to maintain them, you have to evolve them. So...as you evolve...you have to invent something new that is going to eat your own lunch. This is the paradox that we all are dealing with. Microsoft is dealing with that,” Kumar said.
“India will probably take over in the number of AI project,” he noted further.
Speaking about the broader impact of AI, Kumar said the technology should ultimately be judged by whether it improves people's lives rather than by its ability to replace humans.
“For any technology, for its true worth, it has to have a positive impact on every citizen on this planet. Otherwise, it's not useful,” he said.
He added that the key question is whether AI can provide capabilities that give people “better agency” and greater ambition while preserving dignity.
“That's the thing. It's not about replacement. It's really about how do we help,” he said. 
Citing the use of AI-assisted video analysis in railway operations, Kumar said AI could give workers additional time to identify components that may need attention, helping improve safety. He described such applications as an example of combining “human capital plus token capital” to make trains safer, noting that failures and accidents can ultimately cost human lives.
Furthermore, Kumar said AI is poised to have a far-reaching impact across sectors and could significantly change the trajectory of economic growth.
“AI is going to change every aspect of our life. If you look at the GDP growth, it went from like 2%, 3% with AI, we expected to be 20% growth,” he added.