US-India partnership key to spreading AI benefits: Sundar Pichai

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the US-India partnership is crucial for making AI benefits accessible worldwide. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit, he highlighted cooperation, strong supply chains and investments as key to building an inclusive and secure technology ecosystem

New Delhi: The US-India partnership has a critical role to play in making the benefits of AI available to everyone and everywhere, said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc, on Friday.

Speaking here at the AI Impact Summit ahead of India and the US signing of the Pax Silica declaration, he said that alongside the recent interim trade agreement, this will lay a strong foundation for a robust US-India tech partnership for many years to come.

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Pichai said Google is proud to serve as a connection point between the two countries, “both figuratively and literally”.

The US-led strategic alliance Pax Silica is aimed at building a resilient supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence.

“Yesterday, at the opening session, I shared some thoughts on this profound moment of AI. I said we are on the cusp of an era of hyper progress and new discoveries, but the best outcomes are not guaranteed,” Pichai said.

He further said, “We must work together to ensure the benefits of AI are available to everyone and everywhere. The US-India partnership has a critical role to play.”

Pichai said, “Pax Silica focuses on making sure that the supply chains are safe and secure and encourages greater commercial partnerships across key technologies. Alongside the recent trade agreement, this will lay a strong foundation for a robust US-India tech partnership for many years to come.”

Google is proud to serve as a connection point between them, both figuratively and literally, he added.

Elaborating, he said, “We have teams across both countries working seamlessly together on some of our most important initiatives. Innovations that start in India, like Google Pay, are making products better for people all over the world.”

Bullish on India, Pichai said, “I believe India is going to have an extraordinary trajectory with AI, and we are supporting it with a full stack commitment, including product scaling and infrastructure.”

He listed several initiatives undertaken by Google in India, including partnerships with the government to bring AI applications with real-world impact, such as timely monsoon forecasts to farmers and helping healthcare workers screen for diseases, besides the USD 15 billion investment in Indian infrastructure with the AI hub in Vizag announced last year.

“Building on this, we recently announced the India America Connect initiative, which will deliver new subsea cable routes to connect the US and India in multiple locations across the southern hemisphere,” Pichai said.

Combined with Google’s existing cable systems, he said this initiative will significantly expand digital trade routes and serve as a literal bridge between the two countries.

“Of course, none of this would be possible without stable supply chains built on a foundation of shared trust. Products, subsea cables and AI hubs are all dependent on a complex flow of goods and components across borders,” Pichai noted.