OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT, has appointed its first employee in India, hiring Pragya Misra as the head of government relations amidst elections that could influence future artificial intelligence policy-making in the country.

What Happened: According to Bloomberg, Misra will begin her role at OpenAI by the end of the month. She previously led public affairs at Truecaller, a contact verification firm that considers India a crucial market. She also managed WhatsApp's misinformation campaign in 2018 while at Meta Platforms.

The appointment highlights OpenAI’s ambition to advocate for beneficial regulations as nations worldwide grapple with how to manage rapidly advancing AI technologies.

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Why it matters: For OpenAI and other AI behemoths, India presents a major opportunity for growth with its 1.4 billion population and expanding economy. However, the regulatory environment is challenging as local lawmakers strive to protect domestic firms from being overshadowed by global tech giants.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, faces stiff competition in India from Google, which is developing an AI model tailored for India capable of handling over 100 local languages.

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, during his visit to India last year, emphasized the importance of integrating AI technologies into government services such as healthcare. He also highlighted the necessity for more regulations to prevent potential harm from AI technologies, acknowledging that while significant regulatory overhauls may not be immediately necessary, they will soon be crucial.

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