India Entering the Artificial Intelligence Race: Cheaper Versions Taking on ChatGPT, DeepSeek
The world of Artificial Intelligence keeps changing. Large Language Models are at the forefront of this revolution. From the emergence of mighty tools like ChatGPT to the impressive DeepSeek hailing from China, which showcases the potential of AI in everyday life, now it seems that India is determined to make its mark in this domain. India plans to launch an AI model that is not only powerful but also remarkably affordable.
AI in India: A Case in Point
India's Ambitious AI Dream
In a recent announcement, Ashwini Vaishnaw, a key government minister in India's technology area, said that the country is churning out its own foundational AI model. Think of it as an Indian version of DeepSeek and ChatGPT but with a twist - affordability. The ambitious timeline is 8 to 10 months, relatively fast for a model of such magnitude.
Crafted for Indian Needs
The focus is on fine-tuning this AI model for Indian users. It is not just about creating another general-purpose AI. It is about building something that understands the diverse linguistic and cultural landscape of India. In simple words, the model shall be designed in such a way to be inclusive. It will handle possible biases and reverberate with the subtleties of the languages and contexts of Indians.
Powering AI with Local Prowess
India is not only aiming for affordability. It is also flexing its computational muscles. Training this AI model required a substantial computational infrastructure of as many as 18,693 GPUs. To put that into perspective, ChatGPT was trained on a larger scale at about 25,000 GPUs. DeepSeek had to make do with around 2,000 GPUs. This investment in computational power shows serious commitment.
Democratizing AI Access
Perhaps the most alluring feature of India's AI quest is its commitment to democratization. Currently, using popular large AI models like ChatGPT may cost around $3 per hour. The envisioned AI would drop this drastically, to as low as Rs 100, or about $1.15, per hour, subsidized by the government. That could be a game-changer. It democratizes access to powerful AI tools for significantly more people. Curiously, new research from UC Berkeley indicates that reproducing models like DeepSeek may be a great deal less expensive than previously imagined. This may mean a future with much cheaper AI development.
Outlook
India's move to develop its own affordable AI model is significant. It aspires to be competitive with global AI leaders. It is also working on creating a tool explicitly catered to its own population and more accessible to the majority of users. In the coming 8 to 10 months, we will know exactly how India's AI model shapes up and how it will leave its mark on the global AI landscape.
