India Has Two Clear Pain Points: Thomas Dohmke, CEO, GitHub

The Indian government is behind of ratifying a clear AI regulation, which may be creating uncertainty for businesses and developers. There is also a need for harmonisation of AI laws across different countries. There is a broader issue of aligning AI regulations globally, with different frameworks emerging in the EU and the US, such as the Biden’s Executive Order.

On AI Regulation & Harmonisation
For example, consider companies like Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz, which operate across multiple countries. They could be particularly affected by this lack of harmonisation as they have employees across geographies. They need to navigate varying regulatory landscapes, which can result in disparities in AI productivity gains among employees in different regions. 

Effective regulation is crucial not just for the safe and ethical use of AI but also for vendors of AI products. Also, for instance, a company like Infosys, which develops and sells AI solutions, requires clear regulations to ensure that their products meet compliance standards. This would allow them to assure customers that their products adhere to Indian AI laws, allowing for a trusting and then facilitating smoother transactions.

On Private Capital For Startups
The second major challenge is the lack of private capital to fund new startups and ideas outside of the United States. Unlike Silicon Valley on the West Coast, where substantial amounts are invested, startups in India, Germany, and Brazil are at a disadvantage. This disparity means fewer opportunities for these startups to become the next Facebook or Microsoft.

I hope to see more significant tech companies emerge globally, not just concentrated on the US West Coast, despite my fondness for Seattle. Additionally, India’s education system, particularly in research, needs more funding, often sourced from corporate investors. Successful company founders often become the venture capitalists of tomorrow, supporting research and education initiatives. Also, teaching every student on how to use a computer and write Python and code would be a crucial step for the country as well.

On Teaching Coding At School
We need to start with the teachers, who will become the coaches on how to use AI co-pilots effectively. Teachers must embrace AI and teach students how to achieve more with these tools. I mentioned at a tech conference in April that our ambition is to have 1 billion software developers in the world by 2030. This doesn’t mean 1 billion professional developers, just like there aren’t a billion professional athletes or musicians. Instead, it means everyone should have the ability to code, just as they can play a sport or an instrument. Ideally, the goal would be 10 billion, including the entire global population, but we’ll start with growing from 100 million to 1 billion. That’s the vision we are striving for.

As told to Rohit Chintapali during a recent roundtable in Bengaluru