India is losing the AI battle to China, one app at a time

[Chanakyaa]

There is no way that is the ISRO's goal. NASA and SpaceX serve different purposes. This is like saying because I have a sedan we don't need a truck. Not used for the same thing.

If ISRO becomes spaceX then India is stuck in the space race because SpaceX is there to make money not to advance science.


The fact ISRO is planning to conduct manned missions, moon and mars missions means that this is still their bread and butter.

You can say India doesn't have the funding or experience to do the wide range of missions that other agencies are doing yet, but don't shift the goal post to outside the field, because when you score there it still doesn't count.

ISRO has a very limited budget. Its sole aim is meet specific challenges of India in Agriculture, Disaster Management, Urban Planning, Crop Management, Sea Applications, Communication, Telecom, Imaging and Military.

Space Exploration has never been its prime objective. Its major objective is to capture the satellite launch market by minimising the costs which are already very competitive.

 

[Dungeness]

IT Superpower does not equal to AI Superpower. India lacks the education and research necessary for development of AI.

You are right, but smartphone apps are not all about AI. Much touted "IT superpower" should have a place in providing IT products for Indian population. For years, we have not heard anything with significance for Indian, by Indian.

 

[Genesis]

ISRO has a very limited budget. Its sole aim is meet specific challenges of India in Agriculture, Disaster Management, Urban Planning, Crop Management, Sea Applications, Communication, Telecom, Imaging and Military.

Space Exploration has never been its prime objective. Its major objective is to capture the satellite launch market by minimising the costs which are already very competitive.

Let me put it another way, if there exist a private space company and ISRO together in India right now. Magically, tomorrow India becomes a 20 trillion dollar economy, you think any new funding is going to go into the private company or ISRO funding is going to stay the same.

It's possible that ISRO need/want to capture some sat launch market, just like Chinese army was in the real estate and manufacturing business for a while. However, that would only be temporary, once the funding is there that would change.

If it doesn't, then it is unique in that no other major national agency has the sole or even important task of making bank.

 

[GeraltofRivia]

But AI is not synonymous with IT. AI is artificial intelligence while IT is information technology. The former deals with much more complex mathematics applications while the latter consists mainly of data manipulation. For AI, think of autonomous vehicles. For IT, think of large data processing. While I've also heard Indians claiming that they lead the world in IT, I've never heard them say with regard to AI.

Agree. The author seems to unable to distinguish the difference between AI and App, which in many cases is just a
business model rather than a piece of high end technology.

 

[BringHarmony]

Agree. The author seems to unable to distinguish the difference between AI and App, which in many cases is just a
business model rather than a piece of high end technology.

His point is rather that with Apps companies will be able to collect more data to train models giving them an edge. Honestly, this AI hype is doing its round everywhere.

Not just that, its not the data that is issue in most of these things. Its rather labelled data. Data is easy to get. Though there has been research to reduce that too.

Interestingly, business folks in China and far east seems to be to enamored by "Sciencey' looking things. IIRC, some 80+% of Chinese CEOs said that they are making investment in AI compared to some 30-40% from USA. I prefer approach that US businesses are taking. Let ML/AI prove its worth and then we will put money in it.