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‘AI Research at Indian Universities Feels like a Solo Journey’
- Funding remains one of the most significant challenges in accelerating AI research in India. The ICICLE project is an example of research in the US advancing the state-of-the-art, but the same isn't true in India. There is a massive funding gap between Indian and Western universities, and few institutions are putting students' research first. Amit Sheth, director of the (AI Institute, University of South Carolina) AIISC, highlighted the issue of a publication racket, with only a handful of researchers standing out as exceptions. Renjith Prasad, a teaching assistant at AIISC, said that the core reason lies in culture.
- Professor and university distinguished scholar of CS and engineering at Ohio State University highlighted $20 million NSF-funded AI Institute Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE), which is focused on building the next generation of high-performance compute for big data, machine learning, and the future of deep learning. The focus is simply on the democratisation of AI solutions instead of keeping it in check by a few big players like Microsoft, Google, and others.
- The biggest factor in promoting meaningful AI research in India is the massive funding gap between Indian and Western universities. Indians often have limited resources, which makes it hard to take on long-term or foundational projects. While the ideas are there, it depends on resources, manpower, and the right team with the right expertise. The researchers need to be trained so that they can move to the right field at the right time.
- Only a handful of universities in India are able to publish research in top conferences. The gap is non-existent, or very small, in the universities where students' research is given priority.
- In India, research often feels like an afterthought. Professors are often hesitant to invest deeply in fostering long-term research, thus leading students to believe the only focus is to land the best package after graduation. The education system is set up in a fashion to churn out developers rather than adapting to new times. The whole environment is outdated, with limited collaborative support.
- AI researchers at Indian universities feel like they are on a solo journey due to a lack of motivation among researchers to pursue revolutionary innovations. Even though researchers found out ways to motivate students and researchers across the globe to solve problems, it depends on resources, such as manpower.
- Amit Sheth, director of (AI Institute, University of South Carolina) AIISC, noted that the gap is non-existent or very small in only a handful of universities. According to him, enterprising students at those universities often reach out to US groups to do online internships.
- The education system is set up to churn out developers instead of fostering long-term research, which may reduce diversity in AI systems, leading to the development of systems that often become outdated in just a few years.
- Indian Universities compare poorly with Western universities, where there is a strong ecosystem enabling the development of potent solutions. Many Indian researchers need to be trained to move to the right field at the right moment.
- Indian researchers should shift beyond Ph.D.s, beyond coaching and academia, to a change in mindset from parents and founders to international investors.
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