Infosys is witnessing an increasing demand from enterprises worldwide for customised small language models to improve business operations.
Speaking at the 27th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024, Balakrishna D. R. (Bali), EVP, Global Services Head, AI & Industry Verticals, Infosys, said: “Infosys just launched two small language models about a month back. A lot of our customers are saying, Can you actually develop it for my context? So all of these are opportunities for us to help the entire world adopt AI,” Balakrishna said.
On October 24, the IT major announced the launch of two small language models, built using the NVIDIA AI stack, tailored for banking and IT-specific applications. Small language models are algorithms based on machine learning that are trained on a more specific dataset than large language models.
While AI adoption is gaining momentum, enterprises are facing several challenges. These include identifying the best use cases, managing internal data effectively, ensuring responsible AI adoption, addressing skill gaps, and keeping up with rapidly evolving technology.
“Enterprises need to figure out how to apply AI in their operations and determine where they can get the best return on investment. This involves developing a robust data strategy for internal information, unlike consumer AI, which uses internet data,” Daisy Chittilapilly, MD, Cisco India, said.
Additionally, building sustainable solutions that do not become obsolete in a short time frame remains a key concern. The broader technology industry is also focused on making AI more accessible and equitable. Chittilapilly highlighted the importance of infrastructure in democratising AI access.
“Access to affordable, scalable, and secure infrastructure will decide how democratically AI will be available in the country. We are mindful that technology should not create a digital divide,” she said.
To address these challenges, companies like Cisco are making significant investments in AI infrastructure. Recently, Cisco announced a billion-dollar AI fund to ensure accessibility in regions such as India.
Further, ethical considerations in AI development are becoming paramount. “This is a new call to action for the technology industry. Whether we build or provide services in this space, there must be a responsibility at the core of everything we do,” she said.
On the jobs front, as AI is rapidly evolving, its potential to automate tasks at a disruptive capacity has also been raising concerns about job displacement.
However, experts are of the notion that it will also create newer jobs and will mainly eliminate only repetitive jobs. “Humans using AI can replace other humans,” Balakrishna said.
