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As consumer expectations continue to rise, businesses that integrate AI with a focus on empathy and personalisation are gaining a strong advantage, building trust, and boosting customer retention, a study revealed. According to Zendesk’s 2025 CX Trends Report, consumers are looking for AI that goes beyond efficiency and feels genuinely human. In fact, more than 80 percent of Indian consumers said that they would engage more with AI if they had more human-like interactions. Moreover, 63% of Indian consumers said they are more likely to trust AI agents that embody traits like friendliness and empathy, companies are prioritizing AI that’s engaging, relatable, and authentic.

Personal AI assistants, like Siri and Alexa, have also become integral to daily life, leading consumers to expect assistant-driven experiences in customer service, too. 69 percent of Indian customers want their own personal AI assistants that can interact with companies for them, indicating an opportunity for companies to embrace assistant-first experiences.

CX leaders who invest in this approach report a significant boost in customer satisfaction and loyalty, the report claimed.

Such leaders have projected the demand for AI assistants, with 88% planning for a near future where consumers use AI assistants to interact with the entire customer service ecosystem.

Besides, companies are embracing AI copilots, that is, tools that support agents by managing routine tasks and enhancing efficiency—as they move toward autonomous service models.88 percent of CX leaders in India report positive ROI from their AI tools in CX.

“AI should be more than just another technology we use—it’s a way to bring companies and customers closer, and it’s redefining the relationships we can build,” said Zendesk CEO Tom Eggemeier.

Consumers demand human-like AI interactions, trust AI agents with empathy: Report

Indian business leaders are among the heaviest users of Artificial Intelligence globally with 80 percent reporting daily or frequent AI usage, a study commissioned by Zoom has revealed. India's AI adoption rate is second only to leaders from the Netherlands at 85 percent. The Global Collaboration in the Workplace report by Morning Consult, which surveyed nearly 8,000 leaders and employees from different age groups, uncovered the key trends in AI usage among Indian leaders and employees.

'Collaboration challenges'

According to the report, 52 percent of Indian leaders observed they were over-investing in virtual meetings, while 50 percent felt they were over-investing in in-person meetings, and 49 percent said emails were taking up too much of their time. The leaders stated that task-switching was also a major productivity drain, with 34 percent of the respondents reporting a loss of focus for 10-15 minutes or even 15-30 minutes when switching between tasks.

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Further, the report mentioned that around three in 10 Indian team leaders spend an hour or more each day solving collaboration issues, such as attending meetings that lack clear outcomes or navigating misunderstandings within their teams. Indian team leaders are also more likely to follow up on tasks compared to their teams, with 43 percent spending 30 minutes to one hour checking on project statuses.

Therefore, to combat these challenges, the study discovered that Indian leaders are leveraging AI for better workplace collaboration.

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According to the study, 80 percent of Indian leaders use AI daily or several times a week, compared to 70 percent of employees. Moreover, 86 percent of leaders believe AI has the potential to significantly improve productivity, and 78 percent of employees share the same optimism. In contrast, the US follows with 40 percent of employees using AI regularly, and Singapore and the UAE each report 37 percent frequent usage.

'The positives of AI'

The surveyed Indian leaders acknowledged that by integrating AI into their team workflows were witnessing positive outcomes, with 90 percent reporting improvement in the quality of their team’s work—outperforming the global average.

According to Indian leaders, AI has helped in 'focussing on high priority tasks, facilitating better communication across teams, improving brainstorming and idea generation'.

The report collated the responses of 7,969 full-time knowledge workers in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, India, Australia, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Sweden.

“India’s rapid embrace of AI reflects the country’s forward-thinking approach to workplace innovation. Indian leaders are already embracing and witnessing how AI can improve collaboration, save time, and enable teams to be more productive. As AI continues to reshape how teams work together, Indian businesses have the opportunity to continue leading the way by fully integrating AI into their workflows," Sameer Raje, Head of India at Zoom said.

India's AI adoption rate surpasses global average, reveals survey

The Delhi High Court summoned the US-based artificial intelligence company OpenAI on Tuesday in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by news agency ANI. The agency accused OpenAI’s ChatGPT of falsely attributing political news to ANI, potentially contributing to the spread of fake news. During the hearing, ANI alleged that OpenAI reproduced its content through subscriber websites.

ANI requested a permanent and mandatory injunction against OpenAI. However, Justice Amit Bansal, presiding over the single-judge bench, noted that this case is unprecedented and requires careful deliberation before any conclusions are reached.

This ongoing case marks ANI as the first media organization in India to take legal action against OpenAI. In December 2023, a similar lawsuit was filed by The New York Times, making it the first news outlet globally to initiate an AI copyright lawsuit. The Times argued that OpenAI’s AI models harm its business and undermine the credibility of its substantial investment in journalism.

In addition to summoning OpenAI, Justice Bansal announced plans to appoint an amicus curiae to assist the court in resolving the matter.

Advocate Sidhant Kumar Marwah represented ANI, while OpenAI was represented by senior counsel Amit Sibal. Marwah argued that publicly available news does not grant permission for it to be copied or stored. He emphasized that OpenAI’s use of ANI’s content is a matter of public concern, potentially damaging the agency’s reputation and credibility.

“This service falsely attributes content to me,” Marwah stated. “For instance, it claims Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, gave an interview to ANI when no such interview occurred. This not only violates my private rights but also spreads fake news.”

Amit Sibal, representing OpenAI, denied the allegations, arguing that copyright laws do not apply to facts or ideas. He referenced similar cases against OpenAI in the US, Canada, and Germany, none of which resulted in injunctions.

“There is no monopoly on facts,” Sibal stated. “Copyright protects expression, not facts.” He further argued, “Since its inception two years ago, OpenAI has faced 13 lawsuits in the US, 2 in Canada, and 1 in Germany. None of these courts have granted an injunction as they found no prima facie case of copyright infringement.”

Sibal also highlighted jurisdictional issues, noting, “OpenAI has no offices or servers in India. The plaintiff’s material is not being reproduced in India, and ANI has not provided evidence to the contrary. Additionally, the training of our models does not take place in India.”



'There is no monopoly on facts', OpenAI tells Delhi High Court

News agency ANI has filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman-owned OpenAI, accusing it of unauthorized use of its copyright content, according to a report by CNBC TV18.

The Delhi High Court has agreed to hear the matter and has refused to pass any interim order against the parent firm of ChatGPT.

According to CNBC TV18, ANI has argued that OpenAI is using the website's publicly available data to train ChatGPT, including ANI’s news stories.

It said the news stories published by the platform are protected under copyright laws and OpenAI was using it illegally.

The news agency has cited instances in which ChatGPT generated responses that are copied, verbatim from news stories published by ANI.

Besides, ANI argued that ChatGPT has also falsely attributed the material to it. According to ANI, ChatGPT mentioned an interview with Rahul Gandhi, citing the news agency. ANI said that it never took any such interview.

On the other hand, OpenAI said it is facing similar suits in other parts of the world, such as the US, Canada, and Germany. And, it said that no court has ruled against them on grounds of copyright infringement.

OpenAI said copyright laws do not protect ideas or facts. The lawyers team of OpenAI argued that news is a smaller portion of data, and ANI is an even smaller source of data.

On ANI's 'misstribution' charges, OpenAI said all the flagged instances have been removed.

According to CNBC TV18, the court has directed Open AI to file a detailed response. The next hearing is likely on January 28.

ANI sues OpenAI for copyright infringement

Consumers across the Asia Pacific region (11 markets including India) are overwhelmingly worried about the future, despite being AI and new technology converts, a new Ipsos report has revealed. 

Ipsos, the global leader in market research, today released its Global Trends: Understanding Asia report, which is designed to deep dive into the specific issues affecting the Asia Pacific region. 

The report leverages data released from the 8th edition of Ipsos’ Global Trends report, titled "In search of a new consensus: from tension to intention". Ipsos’ Global Trends report – is the largest public survey in its history, with 50,000 people interviewed across 50 markets.

The new report identified three key trends set to be top-of-mind for Asia Pacific consumers in 2025: 

Technowonder

While much of the world is divided over the benefits and drawbacks of AI, people in Asia are excited for technological advancement. Across the Asia Pacific, two in three (68%) believe AI is having a positive impact on the world, compared to just over half (57%) globally.

China is most open to embracing new technology, ranking first out of the 50 global markets surveyed, when it comes to believing AI will have a positive impact worldwide. 

Despite the figures, many APAC countries still expressed concerns about AI. Since 2013, the number of Indians who say technological processes are destroying their lives is up 19%, and in Japan, the figure has climbed by 18 percentage points.

Fears about AI and digital privacy and security are also high, with seven in 10 consumers in the Asia Pacific region concerned about how their information is being collected by companies. This concern was particularly high in the Philippines, (86%) Thailand and Singapore (both 81%).

Retreat to old systems

Interestingly, young people (age/gen?) in Asia are generally nervous about the future. More than half (57%) of Gen Z in Asia Pacific said they would have preferred to grow up at the time their parents were children – this is higher than their global counterparts (51%).Brands can capitalise on the nostalgia trend by integrating elements of familiar past traditions with modern innovation. 

Climate convergence

There is broad acceptance that climate change is a reality and immediate action is needed. Eight in 10 people (84%) said the world was headed for environmental disaster unless the region changed its habits quickly. This figure has increased significantly in Australia, rising by 15% since the survey was first undertaken in 2013.

Most consumers across the Asia Pacific region believe individuals should not be the ones to make greater changes to their daily life to minimise climate change impacts. Three in four (73%) across Asia said they were already doing all they could to save the environment. This feeling was particularly high in Indonesia (91%), Thailand (89%) and the Philippines (87%). 

In line with this, three quarters of those surveyed (75%) believe companies are not paying enough attention to the environment. More worryingly, most people in India, the Taiwan region, Indonesia and Thailand feel it is already too late to do anything about climate change.

Ipsos APEC CEO, Hamish Munro, said: "As Asia Pacific’s economic, political and cultural influence continues to grow in an interconnected and complex world, the importance of understanding the region has never been more important. 

“This latest report highlights how our consumers and citizens think and feel in a world of rapid change and complexity, particularly around technological evolution, societal change and climate change. The insights reveal a region that is open to transformation, but wants its businesses to step up, guide the change revolution and be leaders. 

“When it comes to climate change, consumers believe brands have a critical role to play in minimising harmful environmental effects. There is a real opportunity for brands to be environmental leaders and demonstrate their commitment to climate change efforts.”

Amit Adarkar, Ipsos India CEO, stated the India story encapsulates the story of the two key cohorts of the urban masses and digital Indians: “Both these cohorts behave differently around technology – the urban masses cannot imagine their life without the internet, while digital Indians were amid the digital fatigue and would like to simplify their lives. For Indians the trend of escape to individualism was rather interesting. There was a strong need to make things work for oneself relying on technology as an enabler cum close ally, especially for elevating one’s status coupled with the curiosity to learn. More reflected in millennials and gen Z and was seen as a positive trend. The worrying trend emerging was the reversal in sensitivity towards climate change among Indians vis-à-vis global citizens. Especially when climate change is impacting everyone. Indians are seen to adopt the Ostrich Policy of seeing no immediate danger. And something to worry about in the future."

APAC consumers eager for tech transformation, cautious of speed and privacy risks: Ipsos Report

HCLTech as announced a new node in its global AI & Cloud Native Lab partner network through a collaboration with long-time partner ServiceNow. 

The companies today inaugurated a dedicated facility in HCLTech’s Noida campus, where customers can pilot, navigate and scale innovative solutions to address industry-specific challenges. As per the company, the same experiences will also be accessible in the HCLTech AI & Cloud Native Lab in London.

“Establishing the AI Lab in partnership with ServiceNow is a testament to our 12-year partnership and commitment to delivering value to our clients, allowing them to test and learn in a simulated environment. The early adoption and scaling of GenAI capabilities will help businesses unlock new efficiencies and enhance continuous service delivery to drive business transformation,” said Jagadeshwar Gattu, President, Digital Foundation Services at HCLTech.

The Labs leverage HCLTech’s industry-leading and proven methodologies for clients to navigate GenAI and agentic AI journeys with ServiceNow, driving efficiencies in the areas of ESM (enterprise service management) and industry verticals.

Michael Park, SVP and Global Head of AI GTM at ServiceNow, said, “Our expanded partnership with HCLTech will help us to accelerate AI adoption for more customers in the UK and India. These Labs will help empower customers to take control of their AI investments and unlock new levels of productivity and profitability across the enterprise.”

In addition to proprietary assets including HCLTech AI Force and Enterprise AI Foundry, the Labs will include assets built with accelerators and frameworks modeled for the ServiceNow platform. Those include ValueNow, to assess GenAI readiness; ComplyNow, to assess and identify key security and risk areas; and AchieveNow, to help customers optimize GenAI value and outcomes.

HCLTech collaborates with ServiceNow to roll out AI Labs

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is currently testing anti-deepfake technology to combat the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in scamming unsuspecting individuals. Recently, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, shared a shocking account of an AI-driven scam that targeted his company.

At the NVIDIA AI Summit in Mumbai, a source familiar with CERT-In’s efforts confirmed that the agency is actively testing this anti-deepfake technology. “The technology will not only detect deepfakes but will also support prosecution of such offenders in a court of law.”

Referring to the Airtel Chairman’s experience, the source added, “The software can detect fake audio as well as video, which will aid in combating fake news that stirs public alarm. MeitY immediately takes down such videos in collaboration with social media intermediaries.”

One recent case involved SP Oswal, Chairman of Vardhman Group, who lost ₹7 crore after scammers, posing as government officials and using fake documents along with virtual settings, persuaded him to transfer funds.

The Election Commission expressed serious concerns about Deepfake AI and warned of strict action against those spreading fake narratives. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar warned of strict measures against those using Artificial Intelligence and deepfakes to spread misinformation about elections. 

In December 2023, CERT-In issued an advisory informing citizens about the rising use of AI and deepfake technology by scammers. According to the advisory, scammers harvest social media profiles and other websites to gather videos, photos, and other personal details, then create convincing deepfakes that mimic real voices and faces of the victims’ friends or family. These deepfakes are used in schemes like fake kidnapping or ransom calls, creating urgency to coerce victims into sending money, often in the form of gift cards or cryptocurrency.

In November 2023, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the government would begin drafting regulations specifically for deepfakes. After consultations with multiple stakeholders and platforms, Vaishnaw stated, “We will start drafting the regulations today, and very soon, we will have specific regulations for deepfakes.”

These forthcoming regulations are anticipated to include penalties for creating or sharing deepfakes and may also establish guidelines to help users identify deepfake content.

Additionally, Google has partnered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to share crucial voting information via Google Search and YouTube. Google also announced its support of Shakti, The India Election Fact-Checking Collective, and joined the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) as a steering committee member. C2PA is a global standards organization dedicated to certifying the authenticity of digital content.

Meta, in collaboration with the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA), launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline to tackle AI-driven misinformation, particularly deepfakes. Furthering its consumer education efforts, Meta also rolled out initiatives like the ‘Know What’s Real’ campaign on WhatsApp and Instagram to educate users on recognizing and reporting suspicious content.

MeitY's CERT-In trials anti-deepfake tech to combat AI-driven scams

Meta has signed a multi-year agreement with Reuters, making it the first partnership of its kind in the AI era for the social media giant. As per reports by Axios, the collaboration will enable Meta AI's chatbot to provide real-time answers to questions on current events, drawing directly from Reuters' trusted journalism.

Meta AI chatbot users in the United States can expect accurate and timely news responses when inquiring about recent developments. 

The chatbot will cite Reuters' news stories, linking users directly to detailed coverage. This new functionality is expected to expand Meta AI's utility beyond creative tasks and topic exploration by meeting users' needs for reliable information on current events. 

Meta highlighted the enhanced user experience this partnership brings, adding that through Meta's partnership with Reuters, Meta AI can respond to news-related questions with summaries and links to Reuters content. The collaboration aims to offer users seeking information on current affairs a more informed and credible source.

Meta secures multi-year partnership with Reuters to AI-driven news

Technology services and consulting company Wipro has projected an uptick in Artificial Intelligence (AI) investments in wealth management companies. 

According to a report by Wipro, the IT budget allocations for AI are expected to more than double within the next three to five years. The report mentioned that the AI budget investment will increase from 16 percent to 37 percent by 2029.

The report, 'AI in Wealth Management: Navigating an Evolving Data-Driven Landscape,' mentioned that companies indicated that they have started adopting AI in different parts of their operations. The firms said they have experienced an advantage due to AI adoption. However, 44 percent said they were using AI extensively in their operation such as client management. 65 percent of the firms have expected significant AI-driven changes in client relationship management over the next 1-2 years. 

Overall, more than three-quarters (77 percent) of surveyed firms report improved decision-making with AI-driven predictive analytics, and 76 percent note overall operational efficiency improvements. Meanwhile, risk management is one of the key areas AI disrupts, according to more than half (53 percent) of the firms, followed by research and analysis (45 percent).  

The report underscored the pivotal role of advisors in effectively integrating AI into financial advice to meet the diverse and evolving needs of investors.

The surveyed firms in the repoprt highlighted the challenges related to the regulatory environment. Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of firms identify the absence of clear regulatory guidelines as a top challenge in AI adoption. Additionally, the majority of firms highlight regulatory and compliance challenges (55 percent) and biased and discriminatory outputs (54 percent) as significant barriers to AI adoption. 

"This technological shift comes at a time when the industry faces several challenges, including pressures on Assets Under Management (AUM), fluctuating revenues, increasing operational costs, and rising client expectations. In this context, AI emerges as a powerful tool to deliver customized wealth management guidance, optimized client satisfaction, and maximize financial returns," Ritesh Talapatra, Vice President and Sector Head for Capital Markets and Insurance, at Wipro Limited said.

Wealth management firms to boost AI budget from 16% to 37% in 3-5 years: Wipro survey

With the announcement of the largest-ever collaboration in India's Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry, Nvidia has partnered with Reliance Industries to build AI infrastructure in the country. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, during a closed door media session spoke extensively about India's growing influence on AI globally.

Discussing India’s gaming market, Huang said, “The next generation of video games will largely be made possible through generative AI. You can use generative AI in video games to create amazing worlds that are much more cost-effective. AI can also serve as your chatbot, so in the future, all the characters in video games will be able to talk to each other because they're smart.”

Huang added, “For the game industry to really take off in India, the population's ability to enjoy video games has to grow. One challenge is that most games today require broadband, and India still needs to deliver broadband to homes.”

He continued, “My understanding is that the progress of broadband access is improving rapidly, particularly through wireless broadband. There are many talented programmers in India working with generative AI, and with these factors combined, India has the potential to become a very successful gaming market.”

On the Reliance-Nvidia Partnership

Nvidia will supply the computing power needed to build a cloud AI infrastructure platform, while Reliance’s Jio unit will manage the infrastructure and oversee customer engagement.

Speaking about the partnership, Huang said, “This will be a large-scale initiative, and we’re going to work with Reliance to help them build it. We will establish an innovation centre so that Reliance engineers can use India’s technology to create an AI platform. This will enable them to develop applications that Reliance can offer to consumers in India. There will be three layers: the infrastructure layer, the technology layer, and the AI application layer.”

Huang further noted, “The Hindi LLM (large language model) is a project we’ve already collaborated on with several companies, and it will be open-sourced. It will effectively become the operating system of AI in India. They’re developing applications for the local market, building the infrastructure, providing energy, and creating services here in India.”

India as a Chip Manufacturing Hub

Companies like TCS, Tata Communications, L&T Tech, and Netweb Technologies have announced collaborations with Nvidia. Meanwhile, Nvidia's existing partner and NSE-listed E2E Networks became the first company to bring NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPUs to the Indian market, enabling businesses to take on more complex AI models and drive innovation across startups, MSMEs and large businesses. 

Huang emphasized the importance of India developing its own AI capabilities locally rather than just providing labor for software development done elsewhere.

Nvidia’s chips are designed at their centres in Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad. Huang remarked, “India has the intellectual capital needed. That’s why so many of the world’s capability centres are located here.”

“You have the data, energy, and infrastructure. You have the essential ingredients to harvest raw data and transform it into intelligence,” he added. “There are millions of Indians who will appreciate using Hindi on their phones, everywhere in the world. That intelligence should be created and manufactured here in India.”

Nvidia CEO Praises AI-Savvy PM Modi

Huang recalled that during their first meeting about six years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him to address the Indian cabinet about AI. Huang was surprised by the request, as AI wasn’t yet a widely discussed topic at the time. He noted that Modi wanted to discuss AI infrastructure and its critical role in national development.

“The thing I truly admire is that when I first met Modi ji, about six years ago, he asked me to address his cabinet on AI. I was surprised because it was the first time any national leader had asked me to do so. It was long before AI became a major topic of discussion,” Huang said.

Huang also met with PM Modi during a roundtable conference in New York this past September.

Nvidia’s Revenue and India’s Role in AI

Nvidia’s operations in India have experienced steady growth, with revenues tripling since FY18, and the company is projected to surpass $500 million in the current fiscal year. Nvidia currently operates four engineering centres in India, located in Gurugram, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru.

Discussing the company’s revenue, Huang said, “India’s contribution to Nvidia’s overall revenue is still relatively small today, but we believe it has the potential to become enormous. The IT industry in India, which began 60 years ago, has traditionally focused on software development running on CPUs and outsourced coding. But the future, I believe, will be in India’s development of AI. India presents a huge business opportunity for us, and I am optimistic about what lies ahead.”

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE