Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) and Amrita University Join Forces for Responsible AI Innovation

New Delhi: In a significant move towards fostering innovation in Trustworthy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amrita University today. The collaboration aims to drive advancements in Responsible AI, focusing on addressing biases in AI systems and promoting fairness assessments, in line with the Government of India’s objectives.

Responsible AI emphasizes the need for unbiased and fair AI/Machine Learning (ML) systems. TEC recently released a Standard for Fairness Assessment and Rating of Artificial Intelligence Systems, designed to build public trust in AI through exhaustive stakeholder consultations. The collaboration with Amrita University is poised to develop tools for systematically assessing bias risks and establishing a robust framework for evaluating and certifying the fairness and reliability of AI technologies.

Smt Tripti Saxena, Senior Deputy Director General at TEC, emphasized the potential of this collaboration to drive groundbreaking solutions for fairness assessment and rating of AI systems. The MoU signifies a crucial step in bridging the gap between academia and government bodies, fostering rigorous research and contributing to India’s leadership in AI.

The MoU was formalized by Sh. Avinash Agarwal, Deputy Director General (C&B) from TEC, and Prof Krishnashree Achuthan, Dean Graduate Studies from Amrita University, outlining their joint commitment and roadmap for this initiative.

TEC, as the recognized Standards Setting Organization (SSO) in the telecommunications and related ICT sector in the country, formulates standards for telecom and related ICT equipment, networks, systems, and services deployed in the Indian Telecom Network. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, established under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research university rated as one of the top research universities in India and certified by NAAC with an “A++” rating. The collaboration sets the stage for meaningful contributions to the field of Responsible AI, ensuring the ethical and unbiased development of AI systems in the country.