Large Indian firms 2.3X more likely than startups to have responsible AI practices

New Delhi : Large enterprises (with annual revenue of more than Rs 250 crore) are 2.3 times more likely than startups and 1.5 times more likely than small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to report matured Responsible AI (RAI) practices in India, a Nasscom report said on Tuesday.

Around two-third of businesses in sectors such as BFSI, technology, media, and telecom (TMT) and healthcare reported having either matured RAI practices or having initiated formal steps towards RAI adoption.

"As India gears up to become a global epicentre for AI development and use, these insights will serve as a compass for AI governance and regulations that strike a delicate equilibrium between nurturing innovation and upholding ethical principles," Nasscom President Debjani Ghosh said.

As businesses scale up AI maturity, they also tend to report higher RAI maturity.

About 60 per cent of the surveyed businesses reported having either matured RAI practices and policies or having initiated formal steps towards RAI adoption, while about 30 per cent reported having basic awareness of RAI imperatives without a formal strategy or framework.

Developers are almost two times more likely than users to report higher levels of RAI maturity, the report mentioned. Workforce development remains central for businesses to ensure robust RAI implementation, said the report.

As per the survey findings, 89 per cent of businesses that reported matured RAI practices and policies also reported commitments to continue investments in workforce sensitisation and training for RAI compliance.

Over 60 per cent of businesses that reported lower levels of RAI maturity also reported commitments to improve compliance through investments in workforce sensitisation and training.

"Leadership support is crucial for successful RAI adoption and businesses lean towards top-down accountability for RAI compliance. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents suggested that the major share of accountability for RAI compliance should lie with the C-suite or the board of directors at their companies," the report mentioned.