Public Sector Faces Biggest AI Hurdles Due to Data Silos, Says Nandan Nilekani

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: Speaking at the Carnegie India Global Technology Summit, Infosys Co-founder Nandan Nilekani highlighted the significant challenges of implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the public sector, calling it the “most difficult” environment for AI integration due to deep-rooted structural and institutional limitations.

“The public sector has structural constraints—it’s organized by ministries, departments, and agencies, all of which are territorial,” Nilekani said. “Data is not shared easily, and if data is the lifeblood of AI, we must find a way to integrate it across silos, no matter which part of the government it originates from.”

He added that beyond technical barriers, public trust and ethical considerations make AI implementation in government even more sensitive. “Because public trust is so important, ethical concerns must be given high priority,” he emphasized.