Artificial intelligence takes center stage at India Global Forum’s Founders and Funders retreat
India Global Forum’s UK-India Week 2023 came to a remarkable conclusion with the highly anticipated second Founders and Funders Retreat held in the serene town of Windsor on June 30. A standout focal point during the retreat was the prominence given to the subject of artificial intelligence (AI).
The retreat was an exceptional gathering, attracting prominent speakers from the UK and India who delved into thought-provoking discussions on cutting-edge topics like emerging technologies, financing future innovations, and inspirational entrepreneurial journeys.
Enthusiastic participants engaged in intensive debates exploring AI’s collaborative potential, its far-reaching impact across various sectors, and the fascinating convergence of AI in sports, media, and social networks in this technology-driven era.
Artificial intelligence vs nature’s intelligence
Amidst the thought-provoking discussions, Agam Khare, the Founder of Absolute, brought forward an intriguing perspective, pitting Artificial Intelligence against Nature’s Intelligence.
“Everything we are talking about, AI or computing power, will never be able to beat the complexity that nature presents to us. The real intelligence is Nature’s Intelligence. AI is good, but AI is just a tool to Nature’s Intelligence. Nature’s Intelligence is four and a half billion years old. To think that something that is less than a hundred years old can beat something that is four billion years is a bit of an extension.”
Sachin Duggal, the Co-founder of Builder.ai, highlighted the challenge of defining AI policies when faced with an information paradox. Duggal emphasized the importance of bringing genuine AI experts and stakeholders together to formulate effective regulations.
“There are about 500 experts on AI, yet a hundred thousand people claiming to be experts and trying to define policy. You have a massive information paradox where you make decisions in a vacuum without understanding the security implications. Regulation is about bringing the right people to the room.”
Security concerns related to AI discussed at the India Global Forum
Dr. Marsha Quallo-Wright, Deputy Director for Critical National Infrastructure at the National Cyber Security Center in the UK, voiced her concern about AI security issues. Dr. Quallo-Wright emphasized the need to comprehend technology through a security lens and the importance of resilience, which extends beyond mere security in AI applications.
“Understanding technology from a security perspective is vital; resilience includes security but extends beyond it when it comes to AI,” Dr. Marsha Quallo-Wright said at the India Global Forum.
Excitement reached a crescendo at the retreat, inauguring two notable events. The first-ever ‘IGF Pitchers and Punters’ saw innovative British startups pitching their groundbreaking ideas to enthusiastic Indian investors. The riveting ‘Tank the Shark’ segment also featured passionate founders pitching their visionary ideas directly to the attentive audience.
Lord Karan Bilimoria, Founder and Chairman of Cobra Beer, shared his wisdom on entrepreneurship, remarking, “One of my favorite sayings is, good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. There’s no shortcut to making the mistakes, and I made many, many mistakes.”
Reflecting on the impactful journey of India Global Forum, Founder and Chairman Manoj Ladwa revealed the inspiring genesis of the platform. He shared, “My entrepreneurial journey started as a lawyer. I started my first law firm when I was 27. When I pivoted and set up this platform, I was upset about how India was portrayed as a glass half-empty. So, I wanted to set up something where like-minded people could get together and say there are issues and cracks. But overall, the glass is actually half full or a bit more than half full. It was an emotional reaction that led to where we are now.”
