AI innovation and inclusion initiative launched

Microsoft and the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIT-B) launched their new collaborative effort, “A4I —The AI Innovation and Inclusion Initiative”, to advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in creating a more inclusive and impactful solution for underserved communities.

The event was held at the IIT-B campus and was attended by senior members of Microsoft Philanthropies. Uma Mahadevan, Development Commissioner of Karnataka, joined virtually as the Chief Guest and spoke about the growing potential of AI usage in development and sustainability in education and healthcare.

“We shouldn’t aim to reach people at the ‘last mile’ but rather right from the start, we should be even more ambitious in demanding solutions from technology. AI has the potential to solve problems in human development. With it, we can allow even the illiterate and semi-literate population to contribute at the local level.”

The corporate vice-president and global lead of Microsoft Philanthropies, Kate Behncken, also spoke, highlighting the rapid technological growth in the education, healthcare, and agriculture sectors due to the “AI economy” and how Microsoft plans to utilise it. “Our main goal is skilling, we aim to skill 10 million people in India by 2030, which will lead to the creation of 2.73 million jobs locally. With it, we can reshape economies and how people live and work.”

Through this initiative, Microsoft and IIIT-B will work closely to build a framework for partnerships and sustained scaling and support. The goal is to foster an ecosystem that nurtures AI-driven innovations for long-term societal impact.

“The impact of AI on society will depend not only on its technological sophistication but also on our ability to scale its benefits equitably,” said Debabrata Das, director, IIIT-B. “A4I will be a flagship initiative within our Centre for Accessibility in the Global South, strengthening our commitment to developing and scaling digital solutions that address some of the pressing challenges faced by our communities.”