Wadhwani AI, India’s first research institute dedicated to developing artificial intelligence solutions for social good was inaugurated in Mumbai on Sunday.
The institute will focus on researching ways to harness the power of AI to solve deep-rooted problems in healthcare, education, agriculture, and infrastructure to accelerate social development.
According to ETTech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the institute said that “Wadhwani AI is a prime example of how the public sector and the private sector can come together with good intentions to build a world-class institute, aimed at benefiting the poor.”
Based in Mumbai, the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI) is partnering with the government of Maharashtra for its mission to create AI solutions for social impact. The Maharashtra government will help the institute identify problems, and test and scale the solutions.
The Wadhwani brothers are committing $30 million to the institute over its first 10 years and will also be personally involved, offering their expertise in creating and scaling successful global businesses. Through its partnership with Mumbai University and other institutions, Wadhwani AI aims to create a talent ecosystem in AI and Data Science.
Founded by Indian-American tech entrepreneurs Dr. Romesh Wadhwani and Mr. Sunil Wadhwani, the institute will be led by AI pioneer and founding MD of Microsoft Research India, Dr. P. Anandan.
“We will apply AI in all key domains such as education, public health, agriculture, infrastructure and financial inclusion. Success means bringing innovative solutions that achieve large-scale positive social impact. We hope this will transform how AI research is conducted and applied to help societies throughout the world,” said Romesh Wadhwani, co-founder of Wadhwani AI.
The development of AI technologies has accelerated in recent years, driven largely by easy access to tech platforms and tools, availability of large datasets, and compelling business opportunities in areas like finance, transportation, and healthcare.
But, social problems like poverty reduction and poor health care have not been adequately addressed. “Wadhwani AI is the first of its kind in the world — a nonprofit research institute dedicated exclusively to applying AI for social good, to help improve the lives of millions,” Romesh Wadhwani added.
