India Finds Niche in Global AI Race by Providing Human Touch to Robot Training

India is making a mark in the global AI race by leveraging its vast workforce and relatively low labor costs to provide human-trained data for robots. Companies like Qanat Consulting Services are recruiting people to record first-person videos of routine tasks, which are then used to train robots. Tanisha Reddy, a teacher, is one such example, who moonlights as a robot trainer, recording videos of herself performing tasks like cooking and cleaning. She gets paid less than $4 per hour of recording.

This trend has led to a boom in data collection companies in India, with many firms cropping up in the past year. These companies record data, check quality parameters, and perform data annotation on behalf of clients in the US and China. The market for robots is expected to grow rapidly, with global brokerages like Barclays and Morgan Stanley forecasting significant growth. However, the demand for data collection is also leading to commodization, with contract prices falling as the number of competitors grows.

To remain relevant, Indian companies will need to move up the value chain. Startups like Neocambrian AI and Humyn Labs are focusing on creating datasets that can help robots improve their dexterity and manipulate objects like human hands. Experts believe that India can play a significant role in developing the operating systems for robots, similar to its experience in the IT sector. With the right strategy, India can become a major player in the global AI race, providing a unique human touch to robot training.

Source: CNBC