On December 13, 2023, the GPAI Ministers convened in New Delhi for their annual summit, hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras. Blessed by the presence of Honorable PM Narendra Modi, the event included a Research Symposium and a Global AI Expo. This year’s symposium, themed “Responsible AI in Public-Sector Applications,” provided a global platform for researchers to share insights. The Expo showcased AI innovations addressing critical challenges and benefiting society, with the participation of industry leaders, policymakers, innovators, and stakeholders from 38 countries and the EU, including Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, serving as the Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology; and Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, holding the position of Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology, and Jal Shakti in Government of Bharat.

GPAI collaborates to negotiate a consensus on the approach to AI by crafting a declaration document. Here is what the GPAI’s New Delhi Ministerial Declaration says:

GPAI New Delhi Ministerial Declaration

1. We, Ministers of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), convening in New Delhi on 13^th December 2023:

2. Reiterate our unwavering commitment, since the GPAI Council Meeting in Japan last year, to the principles for responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI and values reflected in the OECD Recommendation on AI, as noted in GPAI’s Terms of Reference, rooted in democratic values and human rights, safeguarding dignity and well-being, ensuring personal data protection, protection of applicable intellectual property rights, privacy, and security, fostering innovation, and promoting, trustworthy, responsible, sustainable and human-centred use of AI. 

3. We further affirm our commitment to continue to work within our respective jurisdictions to advance safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, including, as appropriate, through the development of relevant regulations, policies, standards, and other initiatives.

4. We acknowledge the noteworthy progress and achievements under the leadership of Japan as the 2023 Lead Chair with India as the Incoming Support Chair and France as the Outgoing Support Chair. This includes significant efforts related to the strengthening of GPAI as a diverse and inclusive multistakeholder initiative.

5. We applaud the contributions of the Multistakeholder Experts Group (MEG) towards the GPAI projects. We affirm our commitment to supporting the sustainability of GPAI projects by undertaking the adoption of relevant projects, in line with country-specific contexts and priorities as well as the shared interests and priorities of the GPAI community.

6. We recognize the rapid pace of improvement in advanced AI systems and their potential to generate economic growth, innovation, and jobs across various sectors as well as to benefit societies. We acknowledge the need to harness new opportunities and mitigate the risks arising from the development, deployment, and use of such technologies. This includes concerns around misinformation and disinformation, unemployment, lack of transparency and fairness, protection of intellectual property and personal data, and threats to human rights and democratic values. We further acknowledge the need for equitable access to resources, which must be considered, accounted for, or addressed in order for societies to benefit from and build competitive AI solutions. We underscore GPAI’s pivotal role in addressing contemporary AI issues, including generative AI, through applied AI projects aimed at addressing societal problems and global challenges, maximising the benefits and mitigating associated risks.

7. We support the intention of India, as Lead Chair for 2024, in its endeavour to promote collaborative AI for global partnership among GPAI members by supporting projects aimed at promoting equitable access to critical resources for AI research and innovation, such as AI computing, high quality diverse datasets, algorithms, software, testbeds, and other AI-relevant resources in compliance with applicable intellectual property protections and data protection legislations. We reaffirm the importance of fostering (US DEL an)  equitable AI ecosystem (US Add s) that ensures diverse, inclusive and multistakeholder engagement, including from under-represented groups and communities facing vulnerabilities towards the responsible design,  development, deployment, and sustainable use of trustworthy AI.

8. We support the development, in a collaborative manner, of necessary knowledge, skills, infrastructure, policies, risk management frameworks and governance mechanisms to effectively and responsibly leverage AI technologies and applications, including among low and middle-income countries to harness the potential of AI advancements and manage the associated risks, including ensuring robust protection of rights, safety, and security.

9. We embrace the use of AI innovation in supporting sustainable agriculture as a new thematic priority for GPAI. We acknowledge the importance of promoting the development of and access to risk-proportionate trustworthy AI applications for ensuring sustainable food production systems and implementing resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, help regenerate ecosystems, strengthen capacity for mitigation and adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality, as well as promote inclusion and empowerment of workers in the agricultural supply chain.

10. We commend the efforts undertaken by India, the incoming support chair, the GPAI secretariat, the Expert Support Centres, and the Executive Council to foster enhanced member-expert collaboration and increase the visibility of GPAI, through efforts such as the member-facilitated GPAI working group convenings and the GPAI Innovation Workshop. 

11. We are committed to continuing and strengthening our advocacy efforts to enhance the public visibility of GPAI’s outputs and facilitate the adoption of relevant work wherever feasible. 

12. We note the international community’s efforts over the year to drive international collaboration on AI. To this end, we acknowledge GPAI’s contribution to the G7 leaders’ statement on the Hiroshima AI Process, the Bletchley Declaration, and the G20 New Delhi leaders’ declaration as steps towards working together, in an inclusive manner, to promote trustworthy AI that supports the good of all. 

13. We reaffirm our dedication to strengthening GPAI’s independent and unique identity as a key multilateral initiative for practical approaches to advancing the trustworthy development, deployment, and use of AI. We are committed to positioning GPAI as a nodal initiative that plays a key role in global cooperation on AI innovation and governance, along with its expert support centres. Towards this, we support GPAI’s further engagement with other relevant international fora such as the G20, G7, OECD, UNESCO and other UN bodies, to leverage synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.

14. We reaffirm our commitment to pursuing a diverse membership, with a particular focus on low and middle-income countries to ensure a broad range of expertise, national and regional views and experiences based on our shared values. We are committed to ensuring that GPAI’s mission has a global impact, and helps address diverse global and societal challenges.

“If I would’ve invested the same amount that I did here in Canada, in India, I would’ve had better opportunities in consideration to what I see in Canada” these are the sentiments being echoed by Indian students who spent a good amount of money to migrate to Canada for higher education. 

The Canadian Experience, a documentary made and produced by Insight in collaboration with the Centre for Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) with ANI as Media Partner, sheds light on the reality of Indian students’ life in Canada. With a huge housing crisis, crumbling healthcare, nominal employment opportunities, and a fee discrepancy, Indian Students now would much prefer to stay and study in India rather than migrate to Canada which ranks among the most preferred countries for higher education. 

Along with the USA and UK, Canada has been in the top three most preferred places for pursuing higher education for Indian students. Every year almost 3 Lakh students migrate to Canada, what is so special about it? Is it the lifestyle? Job opportunities? Quality Education? Our documentary exposes that it is none of the above and rather, just the good marketing and the glossy picture being painted by these ‘agencies’ that make families spend lakhs on fulfilling their children’s “Canadian Dream.” 

This documentary interviews two Indian students Ms. Vrinda Kathore and Mr. Namra Shukla who pursued higher education in Canada, and these two students tell tales of not only monetary loss but also lack of basic amenities and racial discrimination. 

Our objective through this documentary is to expose that one realises their mistake almost instantly when they land in Canada. The country has minimal livelihood in its northern part due to the harsh weather conditions, and it is there that the majority of the population has accumulated in Southern Canada, giving rise to a major housing crisis. The year 2022 saw the lowest vacancy rate in the country while rents kept on increasing due to high demand. 

The Rental Market report by CMHC suggests that there has been a 9.6% increase in rental prices from April 2022 to April 2023, i.e., A student who would be paying $1827 in April 2022 now had to pay $2004 in April 2023 for the very same property. It is because of this that international students have to compromise on decent living, and have to often live in overcrowded small apartments with no personal space or hygiene maintained. 

Canada has created an image of a country well-equipped with world-class healthcare facilities but in reality, it is crumbling. Vrinda tells us how her friend who got a burn had to sit in the waiting room for 5-6 hours just to even be looked at by the doctor. She herself got a waiting time of 4-5 months for something as simple as an X-ray since it is classified as a ‘non-emergency’ case.

Canada’s 65% of land is covered in snow, it has long harsh cold winters and short cool summers. It gets difficult for an Indian for whom sunlight is such an essential part of daily life. Seasonal Depression is common in international students who have to spend months with temperatures reaching -40 degrees cel. Namra, who had to live in a basement, shares how he did not see sunlight for days if he didn’t step out, and snow-covered roads make it difficult to commute on a daily basis while the buses halt their operations.

Most students dream that getting good jobs comes with the ‘abroad package’, but the reality is strikingly different, there is a severe lack of job opportunities due to which even the brightest of minds have to work in low-paying jobs just to sustain themselves and pay off their debts. In India, almost all colleges have a placement cell in place that offers internships and job opportunities, however, such is not the case in Canadian colleges [Georgian College, Barrie in this case] which boast of high-paying jobs on their websites. 

Another factor that contributes to Indian students regretting their decision is the discrepancy in fee structure where an international student is paying significantly higher than a domestic student. Where an international student is paying $8000 for a semester, a domestic student is paying $1500 for the same. It is worth noting that while Indian colleges waived or decreased the fee during online classes in the pandemic, no such luxury was given to these students in Canada. It has been calculated that Indian students contribute 8 Billion dollars to the Canadian Economy. 

What will shock you the most is the revelation that Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia admitted students beyond its capacity and is now making Indian students study in nearby Cineplex due to a lack of infrastructure. What should be called out is being marketed as an ‘innovation’ by the college in question. As Vrinda fairly points out- they are running a ‘facade’ in the name of quality education.

Why should a student invest a hefty amount and not even get a proper return? Why should a person choose a place so miserable when they can get far better education and facilities in their own country?

The question remains- Is the Canadian Experience worth it?

Watch the full documentary, made in collaboration with the Centre of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) and released via Asian News International (ANI) to experience what has yet been unseen and unheard. This documentary went on to feature on a prime time show on NDTV within 24 Hours of release, with subsequent coverage on CNN-News18. 

Ethiopia, a nation with a rich cultural heritage and diverse population, has been marred by a series of conflicts and political unrest in recent years. The turmoil that has engulfed this East African country is deeply rooted in historical tensions and has its origins in the Tigray War. In this article, we will explore the complex web of events and factors that have led to the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia, emphasising the need for a diplomatic resolution.

The Tigray War, which erupted in November 2020, serves as the epicenter of Ethiopia’s current turmoil. The conflict began when the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a radical party dominant in the Tigray region, clashed with the federal government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. Abiy Ahmed had assumed office in April 2018 and had embarked on a mission to root out TPLF influence from key government positions. This move, while promising a “safe” government for Tigray, created a deep-seated animosity between the federal government and the TPLF.

Tensions escalated further when elections in Tigray, scheduled for September 2020, were held despite the federal government’s COVID-19-related postponement. The TPLF emerged victorious in these elections, a move deemed illegal by the federal government. In response, the federal government froze funds to Tigray, demanding a redo of the elections. This standoff culminated in November 2020 when the TPLF attacked the federal military’s command in Tigray, capturing its military assets. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed retaliated with airstrikes, resulting in civilian casualties and deepening resentment among the local population.

The Amhara region, Ethiopia’s second-largest ethnic group, played a pivotal role in the Tigray War by supporting the federal government’s forces. The region is also home to the Fano militia, which actively backed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. However, clashes with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), linked to the TPLF, in early 2021 led to further violence and instability in Ethiopia, particularly against the Amhara population.

Efforts were made to quell the conflict, including a peace pact between the federal government and Tigray, but this triggered an insurgency by the OLA. Ethnic violence against Amharas in Oromia ensued, eroding faith in the Ethiopian leadership’s ability to support the Amhara cause. Clashes between federal forces and Fano escalated in May 2022 when the government attempted to disarm and arrest Fano members, resulting in numerous detentions in the Amhara region.

The Arrest of Zemene Kase, a senior leader of Fano, in September 2022, further exacerbated tensions. In April 2023, federal forces entered the Amhara region to disarm regional troops, leading to the silencing of opposition media and the suspension of aid operations by NGOs due to the killings of aid workers.

As of May 2023, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission reported militarised situations in various regions, with violence spreading to North Gondar, North Woll, and North Shewa zones. Meanwhile, the Amhara regional government cited the Fano militia’s eastern faction for the assassination of the Amhara Prosperity Party’s head, Girma Yeshitila. In August 2023, Fano clashed with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and seized Lalibela airport, prompting the Ethiopian government to declare a state of emergency.

Conclusion

Ethiopia’s turmoil is a multifaceted crisis with deep historical roots, involving ethnic tensions, political rivalries, and regional dynamics. A peaceful and diplomatic resolution is essential to bring stability to the nation and ensure the well-being of its diverse population. The international community must continue to support efforts to find a lasting solution to this complex and devastating conflict.