European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised India for the success it achieved after deploying Digital Public Infrastructures (DPI). “India has achieved remarkable success in rolling out its Digital Public Infrastructures. They can be a real booster to emerging economies,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Leyen said DPIs can be a real booster to emerging economies.
Leyen also said that she supports the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We heard the Prime Minister, and we very much support his initiative. The possibilities are huge and the trick is to build public digital infrastructure that is interoperable, open to all and trusted,” Leyen further added.
A World Bank report released last month revealed that India has achieved financial inclusion targets within a duration of six years which otherwise would have taken at least 47 long years, with the help of DPI.
“In just six years, it (the India stack) has achieved a remarkable 80% financial inclusion rate — a feat that would have taken nearly five decades without a DPI approach. Implementation of DPIs such as Aadhaar, along with the Jan Dhan bank accounts and mobile phones, is considered to have played a critical role in moving ownership of transaction accounts from approximately one-fourth of adults in 2008 to over 80 percent now,” the report says.
Leyen also discussed the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and said that even though it offers tremendous benefits, it also brings certain risks. She highlighted that people who are makers of AI are also asking political leaders to regulate use of the rapidly changing technology.
“AI has risks but also offers tremendous opportunities. The crucial question is how to harness a rapidly changing technology. It is telling that even the makers and inventors of AI are calling on political leaders to regulate,” Leyen said.
“One thing seems clear: the future will be digital. We want to facilitate innovation while building trust. But we need more. What the world does now will shape our future,” she said.
Leyen said Europe and its partners must develop a new global framework for AI risks which will help the world defend “against systemic societal risks and foster investments in safe and responsible AI systems”.
Speaking on Ukraine, Leyen said that no nation expressed displeasure for not inviting Ukraine to the New Delhi G20 Summit and also refrained from comparing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEE EC) with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
