NEW DELHI, Aug 28: Virtually accepting the challenge of the OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, the chairman and managing director of the Reliance Industries Limited Mukesh Ambani on Monday promised that Jio would create new AI systems, similar to ChatGPT, for Indian users.
Ambani made the announcement while speaking at the 46th Reliance Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the RIL in Mumbai on Monday virtually accepting the challenge thrown by Altman. “Jio promises AI to everyone, everywhere. And we shall deliver,” Ambani said.
Two months ago Sam Altman, a key man behind ChatGPT, had said Indians could try to create something like ChatGPT AI system but it would be futile. Altman recently made headlines in India by expressing his scepticism about the ability of the Indian tech sector to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool comparable to ChatGPT. During an event in India, Altman stated that such an attempt was “hopeless” and suggested that India would face substantial challenges in achieving this feat.
However Mukesh Ambani has responded with a strong determination, asserting that India possesses the necessary resources and commitment to excel in AI. “Looking ahead, Jio Platforms wants to lead the effort in developing India-specific AI models and AI-powered solutions across domains, thereby delivering the benefit of AI to Indian citizens, businesses and government alike,” said Ambani. “India has the scale. India has the data. India has the talent,” he asserted.
Altman’s comments arose when he was questioned by Rajan Anandan, a prominent venture capitalist and former head of Google India. The ChatGPT creator went on to emphasize the near-impossible task of competing with OpenAI, declaring, “We will explicitly tell you that it’s completely hopeless to challenge us in training foundational models, and you shouldn’t even attempt it.” He acknowledged that while the odds of success were slim, the pursuit itself was essential.
Within Jio, preparations are underway to support talent and capabilities, enabling the rapid adoption of global AI innovations, particularly in Generative AI. Ambani revealed that Jio Platforms plans to lead in the development of India-specific AI models and AI-powered solutions across various domains, making the benefits of AI accessible to Indian citizens, businesses, and the government.
Ambani acknowledged India’s potential, underlining the nation’s scale, data abundance, and talent pool. However, he also emphasized the need for a “robust digital infrastructure” capable of handling the immense computational demands of AI. In response to this challenge, he said that RIL was committed to creating up to “2000 MW of AI-ready computing capacity,” encompassing both cloud and edge locations, while maintaining a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
“Seven years ago, Jio promised broadband connectivity to everyone, everywhere. We have delivered. Today, Jio promises AI to everyone, everywhere. And we shall deliver,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
