As political parties gear up for upcoming Gujarat polls, Rahul Gandhi heads off to US to study artificial intelligence

File photo

New Delhi: At the time when leaders from different political parties are gearing up for upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will spend a week in the Silicon Valley in the US to learn about the nitty-gritty of artificial intelligence (AI). 

Gandhi will also participate in a round table at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC. He will be accompanied by family friend Sam Pitroda, and is also expected to attend a host of other events with Non Resident Indians (NRIs), venture capitalists and early stage investors in California.

Talking to DNA, a senior leader said, "Many important think-tanks of Silicon Valley at the San Francisco Bay are converging to discuss the artificial intelligence, the future technology. Rahulji is greatly interested in making India a leader in the artificial intelligence as some years later software technology will lose its sheen."

Meanwhile, his frequent trips to abraod has left many Congress leaders furious.  "I am aghast to know that he is again off to US after returning from Oslo. Do we need to connect with voters here or think-tanks there Crucial assembly elections are due. What exactly is our strategy? We have no idea," DNA quoted a party leader as saying. 

However, another Congress leader defended his visits and said,"We have become world leaders in software. We cannot become leaders in hardware, as there is no manufacturing base here. But age of software may not last long. Like China India also needs to invest heavily in artificial intelligence that is future technology."

While AI is still a nascent subject to most in India, many countries including China have begun investments in the area to strengthen research in it.