American AI expert Gregory C. Allen said it is to the advantage of Andhra Pradesh that Google is going to set up an AI data centre in Visakhapatnam with an investment of 15 billion dollars (around ₹1.34 lakh crore). He said reports about low job creation are wrong. He said the data centre will serve as a guiding point for other international companies that plan to enter the State.
Gregory is a senior adviser to the Wadhwani AI Center at Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonprofit policy research organization which advises countries, including the United States on AI policy. He was recently in Visakhapatnam to attend an AI-related roundtable and spoke with Eenadu.
Large-Scale Job Creation from the Data Center
Gregory explained that this data center from Google represents one of the world's largest investments related to AI. He added that a value like 15 billion dollars verifies that this facility will probably become the largest data center in Asia.
He noted that the Andhra Pradesh government is encouraging renewable energy projects to supply the required electricity.
According to him, many IT companies will move near the data center that will support job growth in sectors like:
He said that during the early stages of building data centers and the development of projects for power, thousands of jobs would appear.
Gregory emphasized that the fact that Google chose Andhra Pradesh after considering several other locations within India sends a strong signal to companies from across the globe. It shows that this region is suitable for long-term investment.
He said that Google would start with a data center and then build it into an integrated AI hub with more services and facilities being added.
He said setting up a quantum computer facility at Amaravati would attract graduates from top universities. The companies working on quantum research, applications, and systems would also come to Amaravati to benefit from the innovation ecosystem.
Gregory said all industries will relate in one way or another with AI. While many people think of AI in terms of chatbots, such as ChatGPT, he said AI encompasses many areas.
Examples include:
He pointed out that agriculture is one of the most promising sectors in India. Several companies are developing chatbot systems with the intention of supporting farmers with fast and accurate guidance without having to search online or consult others.
When tractors arrived, some agricultural jobs decreased, but overall productivity and income improved. Higher income later created more jobs. He said AI will follow a similar pattern. In the short run, some jobs may change. But in the longer run, AI is going to create new opportunities similar to how electricity, computers, and the internet expanded job markets. AI Will Drive Significant Change He said that AI will bring fundamental changes across industries. When electricity first arrived, its use was limited; today, modern life depends upon it. AI will develop in the same way. He said AI will make expert-level knowledge accessible at a very low cost. People can get advice from the best doctors or engineers for as low as ₹10 a month. He also commented that such AI tools make information cheaper and more accessible. ChatGPT, launched in November 2022, has reached 800 million weekly users today, emerging as the world's fastest-adopted technology.
