Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor are among the Indians recognized in Time magazine’s 2024 “Most Influential People in AI” list. The list, released on September 5, honours individuals making a significant impact in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Ashwini Vaishnaw’s Semiconductor Push
Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has been instrumental in India’s push towards semiconductor manufacturing, is highlighted for his vision of turning India into one of the top five nations for semiconductor production in the next five years.
According to Time, “Under Vaishnaw’s leadership, the country hopes to become one of the top five nations for semiconductor manufacturing — a key component for modern AI systems—within the next five years. Construction has begun on several factories.”
However, Vaishnaw faces notable challenges. India’s tech sector is grappling with low private sector R&D investments and lacks advanced manufacturing ecosystems. Additionally, the education system is still adapting to produce the skilled workforce required for the AI and semiconductor sectors. The magazine also points out further hurdles, such as high import tariffs, global competition, and the extensive infrastructure needed to support semiconductor manufacturing, especially the demands on power and water supply systems.
Anil Kapoor’s Legal Fight Against AI Misuse
Actor Anil Kapoor was recognized for his legal efforts against the unauthorised use of his likeness by AI. Kapoor’s inclusion in the list follows his landmark legal victory in 2023, when the Delhi High Court issued an order preventing 16 entities from using his name, voice, image, or other personal traits without consent. The court’s order came after Kapoor’s image and his iconic phrase “jhakaas” were used without permission in various AI-generated videos and emojis.
The magazine noted, “Bollywood is one of the world’s largest film industries, rolling out more than 1,500 movies every year. But Kapoor’s ruling comes at a time when the industry is grappling with how to regulate the misuse of AI.”
The misuse of AI has been a growing concern in Bollywood, particularly with the spread of deepfake videos featuring popular actors like Alia Bhatt and Rashmika Mandanna. The issue gained further attention during India’s 2024 elections, when AI-generated videos of actors like Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh surfaced, falsely appearing to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Nandan Nilekani’s Contributions to Digital Public Infrastructure
Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and a prominent figure in India’s digital infrastructure, also made the list. Time highlighted Nilekani’s work in developing India’s Aadhaar programme, the largest biometric identification program globally, and his contributions to digital public infrastructure.
“Nilekani, the billionaire co-founder of Infosys, has spent fifteen years in and out of government developing digital public infrastructure for the world’s most populous country, earning him nicknames like ‘India’s Bill Gates’,” Time wrote.
His efforts in the Aadhaar programme are seen as key to improving welfare systems, reducing fraud, and aiding tax collection and bank verification processes.
Other Indians on the List
The 2024 list also features notable Indians like:
Anant Vijay Singh, Product Lead at Proton
Rohit Prasad, Senior VP and Head Scientist of Artificial General Intelligence at Amazon
Shiv Rao, Co-founder and CEO of Abridge
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity
Global AI Influencers
The list includes global figures from various industries, such as actress Scarlett Johansson, YouTuber Marques Brownlee, artist Lawrence Lek, AI creator King Willonius, and technology leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella, highlighting the broad influence AI has across sectors from entertainment to Silicon Valley.
Comments
0 comment