To study the whole gamut of issues surrounding strategic implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a national security perspective, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Defence Production (DDP) set up a multi-stakeholder Task Force in March 2018 under the Chairmanship of Sh. N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons. The Task Force submitted its report in June 2018. Following were the major recommendations of the Task Force:
- Integrating and embedding AI strategy for Defence with a Defence strategy.
- Establishment of a High-level Defence AI Council(DAIC) and a Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA).
- Development of Data Management Framework, Establishing Data Management Office and appointing Data Management Officer.
- Scaling the existing capability of Data Centers and establishing a centrally facilitated network of Test Beds.
- Creation of a framework to work with Industry and encourage start-ups to develop AI capability for Defence and IP management.
- Organising AI training courses in all Defence training centres and institutes for training of Defence Personnel.
- Earmarking of AI budget from yearly Defence Budget with a corpus of Rs 1,000 crores to be provided each year for next 5 years to support AI activities.
Based on the recommendations of the aforesaid Task Force, the Ministry of Defence through an Executive Order dated 08.02.2019 created the Defence AI Council (DAIC) under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri and Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) with Secretary (DP) as ex officio head for providing necessary guidance to enable and effect the development of the operating framework, policy-level changes and structural support for AI adoption.
Moreover, the Services have established organizational Institutional mechanisms in the form of AI Sub Committee and Joint Working Group on AI in Tri-Services. As part of the Data Management Framework, Services have formulated data policy and appointed Data Management Officers. Each Service has also identified key AI domains for development of AI projects. Besides, the Services are also engaged in the development of AI projects from the Start-ups through the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and Academia. Towards capacity building, officers at different levels of the Services have been nominated to different courses on AI, both in-house and at reputed academic institutes.
Further, an AI roadmap has also been finalised for each DPSU under which 61 defence specific AI projects have been identified for development. Out of these 61 projects, 26 projects have been completed by the DPSUs.
