Page 36 - AI for Good - Impact Report

AI for Good

people in India can “become human-centric designers who can create real AI solutions to solve
economic and social impact issues of India.” This would help India benefit from the technology
to drive its own economy and social agenda.

Focus Area: Research and Development

As stated in the previous section, regional AI adoption and investments vary, with billions being
invested in AI solutions worldwide. However, the financial aspect must be viewed comprehensively
to prevent any adverse effects. First, the investment in AI research and development must
balance resources with other critical areas of the economy. Second, most of the AI investment
is provided for use cases with a commercial angle, and the social or environmental potential of
use cases is not always prioritized over the economic impact. 122

One governmental approach is to establish clear investment guidelines and policies that
prioritize funding for AI projects with broad societal or environmental impact. This requires a
concerted effort from the public and private sectors to create collaborative funding models,
where investments are co-financed by government grants, private capital, and international
organizations, ensuring a balanced allocation of resources.

Established practice: Japan, AI Technology Strategy

Japan is a leader in the AI domain with its "AI Technology Strategy," which forms a crucial
component of the broader "Society 5.0" initiative. This policy aims to harness the potential
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of AI to address a range of pressing societal challenges, including an ageing population, labor
shortages, and the need to boost economic productivity.

To enable AI to transform society, the importance of research and development is directly
addressed. Research on the technology is being supported by the government and various
research initiatives focused on education or human resources are directly driven by the
government. Additionally, the importance of private companies in promoting R&D is recognized
and to support them in this endeavor, the government has designated having access to the
right infrastructures as one of their initiative’s pillars. Finally, as AI influences various research
themes, the document suggests pursuing synergies between private and public actors to make
sure that the research can be developed in collaboration.
Emerging practice: Estonia KrattAI Strategy

Estonia, a country known for its digital innovation, has taken a bold and innovative approach
to AI integration with its "KrattAI Strategy." This policy represents a pioneering effort to
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embed AI into the fabric of public services, aiming to make government operations more
efficient, accessible, and responsive to citizens' needs. The national AI strategy relies on four
pillars: boosting AI in the government, AI in the economy, skills along with R&D, and the legal
environment.
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To support the development of this vision, the government aims to invest around €10 million
for the implementation of 50 proposed use cases. This money will support the private sector to
conduct research and deployment for those use cases in line with the needs of the government
and public services. This strategy enables the research of AI use cases in line with the needs
of society and thus can help develop and deploy an AI landscape that drives societal benefits.

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