Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not going to take over us, it is only going to amplify human intelligence, said Yann LeCun, vice-president and chief AI scientist at Meta on Wednesday.
Social media giant Meta’s first ‘Build with AI Summit in India’ was held in Bengaluru to discuss AI’s transformative role in shaping the future of humankind.
Speaking at the summit, LeCun said: “AI is not going to dominate us or take over humanity, it’s going to amplify human intelligence,” LeCun said. AI assistants, which are often more intelligent than users, should empower rather than threaten them. He compared AI assistance to having a team of intelligent people at one’s disposal, noting that while AI might become smarter than humans, its role remains complementary, he added.
Despite the rapid advancement of AI technology, LeCun acknowledged the limitations of current AI models. He noted that even the largest language models (LLMs) are not yet as intelligent as a four-year-old child.
He further said that everybody is going to be smarter because of AI. “It’s not just people like us in the tech community or academia. It’s going to be everyone. Everyone in India, even in rural areas, can ask questions to their AI assistants in their own language or for health issues, whatever. And it’s a very different future that will become possible,” he added.
During the summit, LeCun also emphasised India’s significant role in the development of AI technology. He said, “India has an important role to play, not just in AI technology development for local products but also for the international market.”
Meta AI, powered by its open-source model Llama, has over 500 million monthly active users worldwide, with India being its largest market. LeCun mentioned that Meta’s AI assistant is available in both English and Hindi on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, and is projected to become the most widely used AI assistant by the end of 2024.
LeCun also highlighted the importance of open-source AI in building shared digital infrastructure. “Open source is not just important today, it is going to become even more important in the future, where AI is going to become a common infrastructure that all of us across the world will share,” he said.
Meta’s open-source platform, Llama, was a focal point of discussion at the summit. Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President at Meta India, announced the launch of AI Studio in India, marking the first time this service has been made available outside the United States. AI Studio allows users to create Llama-powered AI avatars based on their interests.
Collaboration with government
Meta has partnered with the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state governments to enhance public service delivery through AI-powered solutions like WhatsApp Business Solution and Llama models.
In addition, Meta has been working with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) on using AI to drive legal reforms and build citizen-centric services. The company has also partnered with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to launch the Skill AI Chatbot, providing AI-driven job listings and learning resources in multiple Indian languages.
Further, Meta’s Llama models are being deployed in solutions tailored to local challenges. For example, KissanAI has launched Dhenu Llama 3, an AI model designed for Indian farmers. This AI system, optimised for agricultural tasks, supports voice and text inputs and is integrated with WhatsApp. Available in 22 languages, including 9 Indian languages, it aims to make AI more accessible to farmers across the country.
