India lags global standards of AI adoption because of shortage of trained manpower
Among all sectors the pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry is among the fastest to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), show newly released data.
According to an analysis done by staffing firm Teamlease Digital, the AI adoption rate for this industry stood at 52%. A close second is the FMCG and retail sector whose AI adoption rate stands at 43%, followed by 28% for manufacturing, 20-22% for infrastructure and transport and 10-12% for media and entertainment. The leaders however are Banking
and Financial Services (BFSI) at 68%, followed by the
technology sector at 60-65%.
According to a 2023 article in BMC Medical Education, the uses of AI in healthcare can be manifold. “AI can be used to diagnose diseases, develop personalized treatment plans, and assist clinicians with decision-making. Rather than simply automating tasks, AI is about developing technologies that can enhance patient care across healthcare settings. However, challenges related to data privacy, bias, and the need for human expertise must be addressed for the responsible and effective implementation of AI in healthcare,” the article said.
Indian companies are using AI both to develop machine learning models that can step in as a first step screening tool in remote areas where trained medical manpower is hard to come by and also, at the other end of the spectrum, to deliver cutting edge personalised healthcare through advanced models that can predict and alleviate disease risks. It is also being widely used for drug development.
The AI market size in India was pegged at $6 billion in 2023 and projected to touch $20 billion over the next five years. However India’s adoption of AI still lags global standards, the primary reason for which is the lack of trained manpower, say industry experts.
