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Ethics by Design: Conversations on Ethical AI at RAM Hyderabad
As the world continues to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everything from governance to education, one question keeps resurfacing: Can we build AI that is not only smart, but also safe, inclusive, and accountable? That’s the core of what the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) aims to explore. And on 8 April 2025, the conversation took a powerful turn in Hyderabad.
This was the third in a series of five consultations being organized across India, as part of a joint initiative by UNESCO and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The aim? To craft an India-specific AI policy report that identifies strengths and opportunities for growth within India’s thriving AI ecosystem. This report will pave the way for the responsible and ethical adoption of AI across all sectors.
What is the RAM?
The AI RAM is a powerful diagnostic tool, guided by the UNESCO Recommendations on the Ethics of AI, designed to help governments navigate the rapidly evolving world of AI. It assesses the readiness of AI systems, identifies gaps in governance, and provides actionable insights to foster a responsible, ethical AI ecosystem. UNESCO is conducting the RAM in over 60 countries, with several governments across the world drawing crucial insights from the studies, into their national AI initiatives.
Setting the tone: Ethics is not optional
The day began with impactful opening remarks by Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, I&C and IT, Government of Telangana, and Mr. Tim Curtis, Director and UNESCO Representative for South Asia. Together, they set the tone for the day—emphasizing that as India takes bold strides in AI innovation, it must do so with a firm grounding in ethics by design.
In August 2023, the Government of Telangana signed a Letter of Intent with UNESCO to advance the ethical development and use of AI. This collaboration focuses on capacity building, awareness, and contributing to UNESCO’s Global Observatory on AI Ethics—aligning our state’s innovation efforts with global values.
Mr. Ranjan shared insights from Telangana’s AI Strategy and Implementation Roadmap, which was launched in 2024. He highlighted how the state is advancing AI skilling, procurement, and startup enablement to ensure AI benefits are widely shared.
Next, Mr. Curtis underscored that ethics isn’t just about compliance—it’s about intentional design choices. Through the RAM, he noted, UNESCO is helping countries like India embed ethical considerations across the AI lifecycle, from data collection to deployment.
A fireside chat on the future of AI in India
One of the standout moments of the day was the fireside chat between Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission and Additional Secretary, MeitY, and Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory.
If we can democratize access to information in the mother tongue of all people, then the 700 million people who are languishing at low incomes, will have their productivity go up. If their income goes up by use of AI, by use of technology, they will be able to help India move up the ladder.
From scaling the IndiaAI Mission to developing India-ready foundational models, Shri Singh outlined a bold vision for how India can lead in the global AI landscape. He also emphasized the importance of international collaboration to shape AI governance frameworks that are fair and future-ready.
A panel powered by women in AI
Next up was a dynamic panel discussion titled “Shaping Ethics in AI Governance: Government and Multilateral Perspectives”.
The panel featured an incredible lineup: Ms. Kavita Bhatia (COO, IndiaAI Mission and Group Coordinator, MeitY), Dr. Preeti Banzal (Adviser/Scientist 'G', Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India), Dr. Krishnashree Achuthan, (Dean of PG Programs, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham), Ms. Rama Devi Lanka (Director of Emerging Technologies, Government of Telangana), Dr. James Wright (Programme Specialist, UNESCO). The discussion touched on how ethical AI needs to be tackled at multiple levels—from sub-national frameworks to national policies to global norms.
We believe that governance which we want to follow is both centralized and decentralized. Centralized, by bringing the best practices of the international forum, but decentralized from the perspective that they will be implemented in the Indian context by the states. This top-down approach and the bottom-up approach of AI governance will certainly give an edge to us as well as will help us to take our learnings to the global south.
Getting into the details: Breakout discussions
The consultation wasn’t just about listening—it was about engaging. Participants broke out into four thematic groups to go deep into key issues:
Governance: What should institutional frameworks for ethical AI look like?
Workforce Readiness: How do we train the people building and using AI?
Infrastructure: What technical and policy infrastructure is needed to support safe AI?
Use Cases: How can ethics be integrated in real-world AI applications across sectors?
Each group surfaced challenges, opportunities, and recommendations that will feed into the India RAM report, being prepared as part of this nationwide exercise.
What’s next?
With successful consultations already held in New Delhi, Bengaluru, and now Hyderabad, the RAM initiative is moving forward with greater momentum.
As India continues to shape its AI future, the message from Hyderabad was clear: Technology can be a force for good—but only if ethics is built in from the start.
