Satya Nadella, the chairman and CEO of Microsoft, was in Mumbai on a three-day yearly visit when he gave a keynote speech. He cited the work of an AI firm called Karya, which employs and pays over 30,000 rural Indians to produce high-quality speech, text, picture, and video datasets to train massive language models across 12 Indian languages.
Nadella stated at an event here that the most crucial thing we can do is to ensure that young people have the skills they need to prosper in this new AI era. Playing our part in it makes us joyful. However, employment as well as skills will be generated by AI, Nadella informed the assembly. India, according to him, boasts the greatest software developers and the second-largest AI engineering community in the world on Microsoft-owned Github, the developer platform.
Nadella aims to convey AI skills to two million people in India
To prepare workers for the future and take advantage of the opportunities presented by a technology that experts fear will eliminate jobs and increase inequality, Microsoft on Wednesday announced plans to train millions of people in India in artificial intelligence. Also, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated at a Mumbai event on Wednesday that the company will assist in providing 2 million Indians with AI capabilities by 2025. In partnership with governments, corporations, nonprofits, and communities, the business claimed the training will enable the next generation of workers to “harness AI’s potential.”
Microsoft is partnering with national and state governments to provide AI training to 500,000 students and job seekers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, including rural areas with smaller populations. The initiative includes in-depth AI technical skills training for 100,000 young women and raising awareness of responsible AI use and AI-enabled careers for 400,000 students in remote and tribal regions. Microsoft is committed to closing the nation’s AI skills gap and creating new opportunities, highlighting India’s unique position to make AI a reality.
Satya Nadella explains how Microsoft works with Indian villages to create AI skills
Satya Nadella disclosed how Indian peasants are assisting the tech giant in creating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The focus point of the tech leader’s yearly tour is presently the nation, with AI and the prospects it brings. It’s great to be in India this week and meet with innovators like the Karya team, who are constructing high-quality datasets for AI while also creating new economic opportunities,” Nadella posted on X.
Microsoft is working with social impact organization Karya in India to train AI models in Marathi. Satya Nadella, a Microsoft employee, highlighted the importance of addressing the language barriers faced by millions of potential customers in India who don’t speak English or Hindi. Microsoft is aiming to make its products available in these under-resourced languages, as it helps people thrive by providing apps, tools, and digital assistants that English and Hindi speakers take for granted. This initiative aims to expand economic opportunities and accessibility for millions of people in India.
Satya Nadella states that the “Code Without Barrier” program will grow
However, CEO, Nadella, announced plans to expand its “Code Without Barriers” initiative to India, aiming to democratize access to tech skills nationwide. The initiative, launched in 2021 across nine Asia Pacific countries, aims to close the gender gap in the region’s rapidly growing cloud, AI, and digital technology sectors.
Microsoft plans to expand the initiative to India this month, helping 75,000 women developers by 2024. The initiative provides support, training, and networking opportunities for female developers and coders, contributing to inclusive economic growth, encouraging innovation, and reflecting the region’s social makeup. The initiative is expected to help close the gender gap in the Indian tech sector.
Additionally, Microsoft is set to provide skilling and certification to 75,000 women developers in India in 2024 through a program called Siksha Copilot. The tool, developed by the Shikshana Foundation and Microsoft Research India, aims to empower teachers by allowing them to create comprehensive, age-appropriate lesson plans with personalized learning experiences. Microsoft CEO, Shiksha Copilot, believes that empowering teachers is crucial for inspiring more students than any AI can. The initiative aims to improve learning outcomes in India.
