India is poised to drive GDP growth through AI initiatives: Microsoft India's Irina Ghose

We have heard a lot about how artificial intelligence (AI) could eliminate jobs in India, but Irina Ghose, Managing Director of Microsoft India, sees things differently. She believes India is currently a hub for AI talent and envisions AI driving the GDP growth.

When discussing the future of the company and technology in India, Ghose at Ficci Frames 2024, said that technology can sometimes seem like it's just there for the sake of it, but unless it's tackling the last level real problems and driving innovation for the future, it won't make much of an impact.

“Speaking from my 22 years of experience at Microsoft, I can confidently say that this is one of the most exciting phases of my career. We have witnessed several significant shifts in the tech industry over the years - from the rise of PCs in the 80s to the advent of the internet, mobile devices, and the cloud. But what's happening now is truly game-changing,” Ghose said.

“It's not just about incremental progress, it's about completely reshaping the future through innovation. That's why I find Bill Gates' remarks about the transformative potential of AI so compelling. We have moved from an era where we had to understand computers to one where computers understand us,” she added.

Furthermore, she mentioned that as a platform, Microsoft focuses on three main areas: Reimagining media creation, distribution of media, and audience engagement, often referred to as fan engagement.

Ghose believes that everyone has a creative spark within them. However, not everyone may realise their creative potential. The emergence of generative AI helps democratise creativity, allowing more people to participate in the creative process.

“The influence of technologies like Copilot and AI is becoming widespread in our daily lives. In the past, we used to talk about having a PC or internet access on everyone's desk. Now, the focus is on having expertise readily available to everyone,” Ghose said. 

“One area where this shift is evident is in media creation. There's a move towards making creation faster and simpler through automation. For instance, consider the example of Microsoft Sora, where videos can be created visually with a simple command,” she added.

Ghose stated that the key area where both challenges and opportunities exist is in distribution. Ensuring compliance, privacy and rights during distribution is crucial. Challenges include addressing issues like dubbing, versioning, accessibility, localisation and transcription. Distribution involves numerous complexities that need careful consideration.

“The final aspect is audience engagement. Extending beyond just media even if you think of sectors like healthcare, banking, and retail, the ultimate goal is hyper-personalisation, going beyond mere personalisation. For instance, in media, tools like PlayFab, integrated into Microsoft's offerings, enable dynamic game interactions. This means viewers can seamlessly stream additional content, such as games, during live events like matches, enhancing their audio-visual experience,” Ghose said.

Furthermore, Ghose said, “When people ask me about whether AI will replace jobs, my straightforward response is that India is currently a leading hub for AI talent. We are actively contributing to the global AI landscape. As part of this growing talent pool, India is poised to drive GDP growth through AI initiatives. We all have the opportunity to participate in this unstoppable advancement.”

Ghose discussed significant trends in movies, OTT platforms, and the media industry. She emphasised the convergence of entertainment mediums due to technology.

She highlighted how individuals engage with various forms of entertainment, such as watching sports on TV, going to movie theatres and playing video games on consoles. Ghose underscored the importance of utilising technology to unify these experiences and personalise content delivery for individuals. She also mentioned that Indian companies are already implementing these strategies.

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