Technology: A Path Towards A More Collaborative World Order?

The full article can be read and downloaded here.

AIWS introduces the article by Shatrughna Sinha Deputy, Consul General of India, New York, on the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs to discuss. Below are some key messages of his article:

As countries look towards developing new frameworks of cooperation in global digital governance, there are also some apprehensions. A genuine fear about AI is that capital-rich countries will benefit more, and labor-rich countries will suffer as jobs shift towards automation. It is true that developed countries have an advantage, as innovation tends to benefit countries that have an abundance of intellectual capital. Some of the biggest companies in the world today either operate on digital platforms or deal in digital technologies. While the innovators and investors have made huge profits and those with high skills have benefitted, there is a crisis at the lower-skill end of the spectrum. Until the time when low-skilled labor in advanced countries shifts to higher skills required in the new world technology industry, wages are likely to stagnate. This is likely to amplify inequities in developed societies as well.

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CAN INDO-U.S. TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATION EMERGE AS A MODEL FOR THE WORLD?

Technology cooperation between India and the United States could be a great example of how countries from the Global South can collaborate with advanced countries in the development of data-driven technologies. Both countries have worked closely on multilateral platforms on confidence building measures, capacity building, and norm-setting in cyberspace. India and the United States signed a Cyber Framework in August 2016 and have since had multiple consultations on digital technologies and cyberspace.17This framework of cooperation has led to cooperation in the fields of law enforcement, capacity building, computer emergency response cooperation as well as cooperation in the field of testing and standards. Both countries have also worked closely on multilateral platforms on norms of state behavior and confidence building measures in the cyber sphere.18 The complementarities between the two countries are obvious. While the United States is the most advanced cyber power, India is the largest digital democracy in the world. The technology industry in the United States is powered by the talent and hard work of Indian engineers.

At the same time, India’s IT services industry is reliant on U.S. clients. The booming digital platform economy in India has attracted significant investments from American behemoths like Walmart and Facebook. The strong base for this cyber-cooperation is provided by the shared values of freedom and democracy.