OpenAI’s foray into India which is home to many young developers could help the company leapfrog in the highly competitive tech world.
OpenAI, one of the leading artificial intelligence companies in the United States is advancing into India with the appointment of its first employee in the country. The new hire, Pragya Misra, will serve as government relations head.
According to a Bloomberg report, Misra’s task is to lead public policy affairs and partnerships in India. His appointment is coming at a time when the country is set to vote for a new government that will decide the future regulatory trajectory of artificial intelligence in the most populous nation in the world.
OpenAI Wants to Penetrate India
With India’s population of 1.4 billion and a rapidly growing economy, the country is a fertile ground for global tech companies like OpenAI. The challenge is regulatory hurdles as India‘s regulation is characterized by policymakers seeking to protect local firms. Misra, 39, expected to resume by month end, comes on board with her experiences from Truecaller AB and Meta Platforms Inc.
Sources familiar with the hiring suggest her background in public affairs and familiarity with the Indian market tipped her for the role. Misra’s primary task is to drive OpenAI’s interests in the region.
The competitors for OpenAI include established players like Alphabet Inc.’s Google, which is actively developing AI models personalized to the country’s diverse multilingual nature.
OpenAI’s foray into India which is home to many young developers could help the company leapfrog in the highly competitive tech world. In February, OpenAI unveiled the Sora text-to-video generative AI model which could find great use in the nation’s Bollywood film industry.
Altman Advocates Responsible AI Deployment
OpenAI’s Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman is a strong advocate for government support for AI research, especially in sectors that render essential services like healthcare. During his visit to India last year, Altman harped on the importance of integrating AI technologies into existing services to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While acknowledging the transformative potential of AI technologies, Altman has also expressed concerns about the potential risks associated with their deployment. He has called for appropriate regulations to mitigate these risks and ensure that AI technologies are deployed responsibly.
Besides healthcare, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has potential for so much more as seen in 2023 when it provided perspective on Bitcoin’s possible trajectory for 2024. ChatGPT predicted a bullish run post-halving came to pass and analysts are now keen on following up with its $70,000 to $100,000 target after the halving event scheduled for April 20.
Meanwhile, the Worldcoin project, a leading blockchain-based digital identity network backed by OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman among other investors market performance is in the green, trading above the $4.50 mark. Market watchers see a gradual climb back up as significant following the huge dip it suffered after Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and SpaceX, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO.
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