'India Leading In AI Literacy': Open AI's Chris Lehane To NDTV

India is growing fast in AI literacy and agency and the country can help democratise artificial intelligence, Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer of OpenAI said in a session at NDTV Ind.AI today.

The session, moderated by NDTV Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal and public policy expert Shweta Rajpal Kohli, dealt with topics like how India is becoming well-positioned in data and talent on developing AI.

Some of the other key points Lehane discussed in detail include teaching children to become AI engineers, and India working as a model to close any capability gap.

OpenAI is working on the government's guidance to build models that speak 25 different languages in the country, he said.

"What's really important if you're going to have AI for and by India, the model here should reflect culture, languages, context, and that is part of the piece that's inherent to actually building that kind of sovereign AI," Lehane added.

He said OpenAI is not working as an extractive technology in the way perhaps maybe social media was to some level. "This is productivity. This is bringing economic activity here."

NDTV Ind.AI highlights India as a country that is not catching up in AI, but leaping ahead. As the global AI landscape evolves, the world is increasingly looking to India not just for scale, but for leadership and direction.

The NDTV Ind.AI Summit brings together policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and thinkers to shape an AI future that is rooted in human values and ethical responsibility.

Built on two core pillars - India's human-centric AI agenda for the world and safe, responsible and impact-driven AI - the summit champions a people-first approach. It envisions AI as a force that elevates humanity, drives inclusive growth, and safeguards societal well-being while accelerating innovation.