New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved beyond being a futuristic concept to become a central pillar of modern business transformation, reshaping economies, industries, and societies by driving global competitiveness, operational efficiency, customer experience, risk management, sustainability, and innovation, as per a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Protiviti.

The “Vision AI: Trends and Strategic Insights 2025” report, released on Thursday, highlighted AI’s pervasive impact across various sectors.

“The question of whether AI will change our world is no longer hypothetical — we are seeing the impact everyday. From transforming industries to reshaping how we work, AI has moved from opportunity to impact. AI literacy and fluency are no longer optional; they are mission-critical for every industry, every leader, and every enterprise. The opportunity to build with AI is immense,” Microsoft India & South Asia President Puneet Chandok said.

In the financial services industry, AI is redefining trust, regulation, and fraud detection.

By incorporating intelligence into risk assessment, compliance functions, fraud detection, and customer engagement, financial institutions are achieving precision and flexibility in a sector where reliability is paramount, the report said.

Manufacturing and industrial domains, which are primarily driven by volume and scale, are optimising production and supply chains through predictive intelligence.

Retail and e-commerce are witnessing unprecedented changes with AI-driven personalisation and demand forecasting.

“Through transaction data, businesses now personalise customer journeys, enabling enterprises to forecast demand, optimise pricing and deliver seamless, unified commerce experiences,” the report noted.

Healthcare is seeing breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatments, and accessibility with AI.

Enterprise technologies and IT services are leveraging AI for digital transformation, cybersecurity, and cloud cost optimisation.

Real estate and hospitality are adopting intelligent automation for efficiency and enhanced guest experiences.

The automobile sector is incorporating AI-powered safety features and autonomous engineering, while energy, chemicals, and utilities are utilising AI to manage demand, optimise production, and reduce environmental impact.

For India, AI is not merely a technology shift but a national priority to enhance competitiveness, inclusive growth, and long-term resilience, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said.

New Delhi, India – i.AI, a pioneering social media platform from India, is revolutionizing the digital economy by embodying the Prime Minister’s vision of self-reliance. The platform is more than a social channel, establishing a robust ecosystem that engages creators, businesses, and users with AI while safeguarding and monetizing Indian data domestically.

Founder and CEO Kapil Agarwal asserted that i.AI responds to the call for creating homegrown digital solutions. With a target revenue of over Rs.500 crore in the next 24-30 months, the platform aspires to achieve breakeven operationally by the third year. Supported by cultural relevance and AI innovations, i.AI aims to emerge as the nation’s first global social media export.

The platform continues to engage users by promoting regional content and empowering creators, marking it as a formidable competitor to global players like Facebook and Instagram. Future expansion across Asia, the Middle East, and Western markets seeks to enhance India’s position in the global digital landscape, merging technology and culture.

£2.7 million government fund for regulation reforms

Speaking at Mansion House yesterday, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced a £2.7m fund for AI regulation reforms, aiming to speed up innovation while ensuring oversight and boosting the UK’s tech competitiveness.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has unveiled a package of measures aimed at reshaping the UK’s approach to AI regulation.

Kyle has been vocal about AI policy in recent months, previously urging UK workers to embrace AI or risk falling behind.

Speaking at Mansion House on Wednesday, Kyle announced a £2.7 million government fund to help regulators pilot AI systems across sectors, including energy, aviation and nuclear oversight. The move forms part of a wider push to reduce regulatory burdens and position Britain as a global centre for AI investment.

“We want you to keep investing here, keep building here, list here, scale here. If you invest in Britain, you’ll share in that competitive edge,” Kyle said.

Support for regulators and new AI industry standards

The funding will back initiatives such as Ofgem’s development of AI tools to speed up clean energy approvals, the Civil Aviation Authority’s use of AI to analyse air accident reports, and projects to improve nuclear waste management. Kyle says the aim is to fast-track approvals, cut delays, and support safe adoption of new technologies.

Alongside the regulator fund, the government confirmed plans for what it calls a “dedicated AI assurance profession”, supported by an £11 million innovation fund. The assurance roadmap sets out the creation of professional standards, ethical codes, and certification schemes to oversee AI deployment.

Stuart Harvey, chief executive of Datactics, welcomed the government’s direction on AI innovation, saying: “Peter Kyle’s call for AI reform is a welcome step towards making AI regulation more responsive to business needs. Too often, innovation is slowed not by lack of ambition, but by unclear governance and fragmented oversight. Creating space for innovation through AI-specific regulatory sandboxes and improving access to technical infrastructure would be a meaningful shift…”

Balancing growth with oversight

This latest pledge is tied to record levels of private AI investment in the UK, with £2.9 billion channelled into the sector last year.

It comes amid ongoing debates over the government’s AI policy direction, including recent changes to the AI Safety Institute.

Amid AI safety concerns, the Labour government has been exploring various ways to boost UK AI adoption, including discussions of a national ChatGPT subscription deal.

Senior vice president international at Absolute Security, Andy Ward, urged the government to tread with caution. “AI offers huge promise to improve detection, speed up response times, and strengthen defences, but without robust strategies for cyber resilience and real-time visibility, organisations risk sleepwalking into deeper vulnerabilities,” he noted.