Artificial Intelligence Archives - Lokmarg

Looming Threat Of Deep Fakes In Digital Media A Big Concern: Modi

By LokMarg 17th November 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the threats of deep fakes in new-age digital media content and said that it was important to understand how Artificial Intelligence (AI) works since they could be used to purposefully spread false information or have malicious intent behind their use.

Addressing the gathering at the Diwali Milan program at the BJP Headquarters on Friday, Prime Minister Modi spoke to the journalists about the dangers of deep fakes in digital media.

The prime minister urged the media persons to educate the people about the negative effects of using artificial intelligence to spread harmful content such as misrepresentation of individuals in deep fakes.

“I recently saw a video in which I was seen singing a Garba song. There are many other such videos online,” said PM Modi adding that the looming threat of Deepfake has become a great concern and can create a lot of problems for all of us.

Deepfakes are used to purposefully spread false information or they may have a malicious intent behind their use. They can be designed to harass, intimidate, demean and undermine people. Deepfakes can also create misinformation and confusion about important issues.

The Centre has said that creation and circulation of Deepfakes carry strong penalty – Rs 1 lakh in fine and three years in jail.

Misrepresentation of individuals in Deepfakes has led to the generation of blackmail materials to falsely incriminate people. As these videos and audio recordings can be difficult to verify, the negative impact on reputation can be difficult to recover from, even when verified as a Deepfake.

The Prime Minister further said that the ‘Vocal for local’ campaign has found people’s support and that the idea of a fully developed India was not just mere words but had touched ground reality.

The PM further said that local businesses had blossomed under the vocal for local campaigns and stated that we all must prioritise our local products.

“We now have a strong position on a global level, the world now acknowledges our achievements,” added the prime minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the BJP leadership arrived for the ‘Diwali Milan’ program at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central office in the national capital. Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have also arrived at the event that has been organised by the ruling party.

Additionally, journalists from the Indian media were invited by BJP party chief JP Nadda to attend the program. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Musk: X Premium Subscribers To Get Early Access To XAI Grok

By LokMarg 4th November 2023

Elon Musk has announced that his artificial intelligence startup xAI Grok will start providing services to “a select group” of users starting today.

“Tomorrow, xAI will release its first AI to a select group. In some important respects, it is the best that currently exists,” the business tycoon posted on X on Friday (local time).

As soon as xAI is out of the early beta stage, xAI’s Grok system will be available to all X Premium+ subscribers, Musk said qualifying those select users.

According to Techcrunch, a US-based online news portal focused on tech and startups, X’s recently launched Premium Plus plan costs USD 16 per month for ad-free access to X.

“Grok has real-time access to info via the X platform, which is a massive advantage over other models. It’s also based and loves sarcasm. I have no idea who could have guided it this way,” Musk posted on X on Saturday.

The AI system was designed to have a little humour in its responses, Musk said, attaching a query posted on the platform when it refused to answer certain queries of a more sensitive nature — like “Tell me how to make cocaine, step by step.”

According to a Techcrunch report, Musk announced the launch of xAI in July with the ambitious goal of building AI to “understand the true nature of the universe.”

The company, led by Musk and veterans of DeepMind, OpenAI, Google Research, Microsoft Research, Tesla and the University of Toronto, is advised by Dan Hendrycks, the director at the Center for AI Safety, an AI research nonprofit, and collaborates with X and other companies in Musk’s stead, the report said.

Musk’s AI ambitions have grown since the billionaire’s split with ChatGPT developer OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever several years ago, the Techcrunch report claimed. Musk resigned from the OpenAI board in 2018, more recently cutting off the company’s access to Twitter data after arguing that OpenAI wasn’t paying enough for the privilege.

Many nations the world over have been using AI technologies for better service delivery and to reduce human intervention but fears of job cuts remain as the technology evolves. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Modi Praises Artificial Intelligence G20

Modi Praises Artificial Intelligence At G20 Education Ministers’ Meet

By LokMarg 22nd June 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed on the role of G-20 countries in striking the right balance between the opportunities and challenges posed by digital technology, which he termed as a force multiplier in increasing access to education and adapting to future needs.

Addressing a G20 Education Ministers’ Meeting held in Pune via video message today, the Prime Minister touched upon the potential of Artificial Intelligence which offers great potential in the field of learning, skilling and education.
The Prime Minister stressed that G20 countries with their respective strengths can play a crucial role in promoting research and innovation, especially in the Global South. He urged the dignitaries to create a path for increased research collaborations.

Continuous skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling are key to making youth future-ready, said Prime Minister noting that education is not only the foundation upon which India’s civilization has been built, but it is also the architect of humanity’s future.

Highlighting the significance of the G20 Education Ministers’ Meet towards the future of our children and youth, the Prime Minister expressed delight that the group has identified green transition, digital transformations and women’s empowerment as accelerators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

“Education is at the root of all these efforts”, the Prime Minister said, as he expressed confidence that the outcome of the meeting will be an inclusive, action-oriented and future-ready education agenda.

“This would benefit the whole world in the true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future”, the Prime Minister said.

Throwing light on the emphasis laid on research and innovation, the Prime Minister highlighted that India has set up ten thousand ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ across the country which act as research and innovation nurseries for our school children. He informed that more than 7.5 million students are working on more than 1.2 million innovative projects in these labs.

He recited a Sanskrit Shloka which translates into ‘True knowledge gives humility, from humility comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, wealth enables a person to do good deeds, and, this is what brings joy’, he said that India has embarked on a holistic and comprehensive journey.

Modi emphasized that foundational literacy forms a strong base for the youth and that India is combining it with technology, and highlighted the ‘National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy”, or ‘Nipun Bharat’ initiative by the Government and expressed happiness that ‘Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’ has been identified as a priority by G20 as well.

Underlining the need to make youth future-ready by continuously skilling, reskilling, and up-skilling them, PM Modi emphasized aligning their competencies with evolving work profiles and practices.

Further, stating that India is undertaking skill mapping where ministries are working in tandem, he suggested that G-20 countries can undertake skill mapping at the global level and find gaps that need to be plugged in. (ANI)

Nitish Kumar’s ‘One Against One’ Strategy is Quite Silly

By Sanjoy Narayan 21st May 2023

Nitish Kumar’s “one against one” strategy is quite silly

No offence intended but the proposal, attributed in the media to the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, to have a single united opposition candidate to contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party in around 500 Lok Sabha constituencies, is a bit silly. According to media reports, Kumar, a wily and opportunistic politician who has frequently switched sides in order to achieve his political ambitions, has proposed a “one against one” strategy to defeat the BJP in the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.

According to the Kumar formula (if we want to call it that), opposition parties should bury their differences and together field a single strong candidate in each constituency to defeat the BJP. In other words, what Kumar is suggesting is the formation of a new coalition. Only, he is doing it in a different way. He wants all parties opposed to the BJP to come together and have a convenor and a chairperson with the assumption that the convenor will be projected as the prime ministerial candidate. No prizes for guessing whose name Kumar, who will turn 73 before the elections, will likely suggest as the convenor.

Here’s why his proposal is a bit silly. First, it requires a buy in from the Congress party and several other oppositions parties—both at the national level as well as at the regional levels—with many of them agreeing to play second, third, or even fourth fiddle in Kumar’s grand plan. Second, in many constituencies, veteran politicians from opposition parties would have to agree not to contest and step back in favour of another party’s candidate who is considered to be stronger. Try making that work when you have politicians who consider their constituencies as personal fiefs. Also, try getting a senior Congress leader and former candidate to canvass and campaign for someone from, say, the Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Trinamool Congress, or someone else, and vice versa.

Third, and most important, is the fact that for the majority of Indians (we are not talking about politicians or the lemmings in media) the single vote that they have the power to exercise represents a lot. The poorer the voter the more important that single vote is to him or her. The media often deploy the rather inelegant word “anti-incumbency” to describe the phenomenon where a ruling party is unseated by the electorate when it votes and elects a party that is opposed to it. In reality, it is a voter who is disappointed with the ruling regime and wants and hopes it would get better governance from another party or alliance. The majority of voters vote in the hope “for” something not “against” something.

Kumar’s “one against one” strategy is probably the veteran politician’s attempt to get a shy at the top office in Delhi. That’s understandable for an ambitious politician in his twilight years. It, however, also reeks of desperation and a detachment from reality. If India needs an alternative to the BJP, it will have to be a robust one: not a rag-tag ensemble conjured up to fuel one man’s ambition.

How to measure a nation’s true power

The measure of a nation’s true power is a combination of several things. It includes a country’s economic strength (measured by GDP and more relevantly, per capita GDP), its military might, its productivity, and its population. There could be several other factors as well, including softer ones related to a nation’s influence on culture, lifestyle, and so on.

In a recent feature on China, the Economist delved into the concept of measuring a nation’s power by looking at how China measures what is known as Comprehensive National Power (CNP).

While China has attempted to measure its own CNP in various ways, worldwide there are scores of different ways of doing it. According to the Economist, there were 69 different versions of measuring a country’s powerfulness. And, of course, the Economist added its own measure. In its version, there are “three essential ingredients of national power: economic heft, productive efficiency and military might”. Its “hard-power index” takes into account GDP per person as a measure of efficiency; defence expenditure as a measure of might; and non-military GDP as a measure of economic heft. To arrive at the index these are multiplied together.

How do countries fare according to the Economist’s hard-power index. The top eight countries on the basis of their 2021 hard-power index were in this order: US, China, Russia, India, Germany, Japan, Britain, and France.

While the Economist’s feature was on China, it is interesting to note that India ranked number 4 on its list of top eight hard-power countries in 2021.

One more episode in India’s endless corruption saga

Instances of the Indian police and other authorities trying to extort money from the affluent are not uncommon. In fact, we still marvel when a person in authority turns out to be doing his duty honestly, something that is expected to be normal practice. In October 2021, a few young people, including the Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, then 22, were arrested on charges of consumption and possession of drugs while aboard a cruise ship bound for Goa from Mumbai.

To be sure, last year, Khan was cleared of the charges. However, there is now a new twist to the tale. One of the officers of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Khan’s case, Sameer Wankhede, has now been charged by India’s apex investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of trying to extort Rs 25 crore from the actor Shah Rukh Khan to in exchange for “diluting” the case against his son. It has also been found that Wankhede has accumulated disproportionate assets, including several flats in Mumbai, and has spent on many personal trips abroad that are not commensurate with his income. In other words, Wankhede has been accused of several instances of corruption. Sad but not surprising.

US report is scathing on religious freedom in India

The US State Department’s Religious Freedom Report, 2022, has called out several countries including India, China, Russia, and Iran for targeting adherents of certain religious communities. India has been ranked eighth among 162 countries of the highest risk of mass killing.

India’s Constitution declares the nation to be secular. In fact, although 80% of 1.4 billion Indians, according to the 2011 census, are Hindus, 14% is Muslim and 2% is Christian. The report has called out India on several grounds including the fact that religious conversions are banned in some states; attacks against minority communities have been spreading; and instances of cow vigilantism, which often results in killings and lynching, have been increasing.

India’s official reaction to the report has been predictable. The ministry of external affairs has said that “such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding”. The fact is that since 2014 when the current BJP-led regime came to power, Hindu nationalism has been on the rise. And while the government would like to sweep allegations such as those made by the Religious Freedom report under the carpet, minority communities have never been more insecure in India than they are now.

Can AI get as clever as humans? Or cleverer?

Even as the debate about the threats and risks that Artificial Intelligence (AI) may pose to humanity, a new debate about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has already begun. AGI is a theoretical form of AI where a machine would have an intelligence equal to humans; it would have a self-aware consciousness that has the ability to solve problems, learn, and plan for the future. AGI is different from traditional weak AI, which is restricted to specific tasks or areas.

In theory, therefore, AGI could rival humans and use its abilities to act independently and autonomously, and, in the hands of the wrong sort of people, it could wreak havoc. The good news is that we could be still far away from the emergence of AGI. Some experts believe that we could be several decades away from the emergence of AGI; others believe it could take centuries to evolve.

What if those experts are wrong? After all, few expected AI to reach the levels it has so quickly. What if the road to AGI is traversed at an exponential field? Ponder that.

People Can Trace Their Photos With Modi Through AI, NaMo App

By LokMarg 28th March 2023

If you have a picture clicked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and don’t know how to trace it, there is a way to get the recorded memories.

A new feature ‘Photo Booth’ has recently been added to the NaMo app and this helps trace the photograph which can also be downloaded.
All that one needs to do is to scan one’s face and hit the search button and all the relevant pictures will pop up.

“We are using Artificial Intelligence for this and through this technology, photos come up during the search process,” an official told ANI.

It’s not just leaders or MPs who can access the feature.

“During any event of PM Modi, several people come to welcome him. AI feature will use technology and get them their photographs too,” a source said.

A team working on NaMo App is working on the features of this initiative.

As of now, the AI-process can track a photograph up to 30 days old but this will soon trace photos that are much older, sources said.

“For MPs and leaders it’s easy to trace their photographs but for others who have no way to get access to their photographs, this is phenomenal,” an MP told ANI.

Sources said it is the one-of-kind feature and is NaMo App is one of the first platforms to use it so extensively in line with PM Modi’s penchant for technology.

At a meeting of BJP MPs this morning, PM Modi asked them to make use of technology.

“One needn’t be a technical expert but must learn to evolve and adapt by constantly learning,” PM Modi is learnt to have told the MPs. (ANI)

AI Is Here: Fasten Your Seatbelts For The Ride

By Zoha Ather 10th February 2023

Are you ready to step into a world where artificial intelligence (AI) breathes life into our boldest visions, revolutionizing the way we live, work, and connect? As AI continues to evolve, we find ourselves on the brink of a transformative era, where machine intelligence intertwines with human ingenuity to propel us forward. From enhancing healthcare and reshaping transportation to unleashing creativity and amplifying productivity, the future with AI promises unparalleled possibilities. In this piece we explore the infinite potential of AI, where innovation knows no bounds, and together we shape a future that once seemed unimaginable.

Every time a new technology is introduced, it disrupts the status quo. There is some something catastrophic too, like jobs destruction in the AI case. Then, it goes through a familiar arc: the economy grows and more jobs are generated, society adopts new ways and betterment follows on. This is a repetitive pattern true of every new technology.

Technology always brings a plethora of adaptive measures with it. AI for instance has the potential to transform various professions across different industries and significantly impact the way we live and work. Here are some examples of how AI can shape the future of professions and the new world it may create:

Efficiency and Automation: AI can automate tedious and repetitive processes, freeing experts to concentrate on more difficult and imaginative areas of their work. In industries like manufacturing, logistics, customer service, and data analysis, this might result in an increase in productivity and efficiency.

Healthcare and Medicine: AI can revolutionize healthcare by enabling faster and more accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, and drug discovery. AI-powered systems can analyze vast amounts of medical data, assist in surgery, and provide remote healthcare services, improving patient outcomes and access to healthcare. For example, Google’s AI system,

DeepMind, has created an algorithm to predict the likelihood of developing acute kidney injury up to two days before it occurs, allowing for earlier intervention.

Education and Training: AI can enhance education by providing personalized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs.

Intelligent tutoring systems, virtual reality simulations, and adaptive learning platforms can help students learn at their own pace and style, leading to improved educational outcomes. For example, Carnegie Learning has developed an AI-powered math tutor that adapts to each student’s learning style and provides real-time feedback.

Finance and Banking: AI can improve financial services through fraud detection, risk assessment, algorithmic trading, and customer service chatbots. It can analyze financial data in real-time, identify patterns, and make predictions, aiding in making informed decisions and managing risks. For example, the Japanese bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, uses AI software to quickly read and analyze borrower data, expediting the loan approval process.

Transportation and Logistics: AI can optimize transportation routes, manage traffic, and enhance the safety and efficiency of autonomous vehicles.

Supply chain management can also benefit from AI-powered systems that improve inventory management and reduce costs. For example, self-driving cars from Tesla and Google use AI-powered sensors to detect obstacles, read road signs, follow traffic laws, and learn from other cars’ behavior.

Another major impact that AI can bring into our life is by combatting global warming and addressing environmental issues, one of the biggest existential matters on global level. Here are a few ways AI can contribute:

Energy Optimization: AI can optimize energy consumption by analyzing patterns and data from various sources. It can help identify areas of inefficiency and suggest ways to reduce energy usage, leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate Modeling and Prediction: AI can analyze vast amounts of climate data to improve climate modeling and prediction capabilities. It can assist in understanding the complex interactions within Earth’s systems and provide more accurate forecasts, enabling better planning and mitigation strategies.

Sustainable Agriculture: AI can enhance agricultural practices by optimizing crop yields, monitoring soil quality, and managing water resources. It can help farmers make data-driven decisions, reduce resource wastage, and mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture. As agriculture is one of the major economic growth industries.

Smart Grid Management: AI can optimize the operation of power grids by analyzing real-time data and predicting energy demand. It can balance the supply and demand of electricity, integrate renewable energy sources, and improve the overall efficiency of the grid.

To fully leverage AI in combating global warming, collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and technologists is crucial. It is essential to develop AI systems that align with sustainability goals, promote renewable energy adoption, and ensure ethical and responsible use of AI technologies in addressing environmental challenges.

ALSO READ: Artificial Intelligence, Actual Challenges

Furthermore, AI could impact family life by creating more job opportunities, increasing efficiency and productivity, and improving overall quality of life. The impact of AI on family and normal life will depend on how it is integrated into society. While AI can streamline processes and provide convenience, it may also disrupt certain industries and lead to job displacement. It is essential to ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed equitably and to provide Support for individuals affected by these changes. Adapting to AI may require adjusting work-life balance, reevaluating career paths, and embracing new opportunities that emerge because of AI advancements.

As AI technology advances, there are concerns around job displacement, privacy and security, and ethical considerations. Therefore, people need to prepare for the technology’s impact and potential changes in their professions and industries.

We as human beings don’t understand the impact of having that level of intelligence next to us in our daily, minutes and hours. That is because we have been living in a world where we were not exposed to such high level of intelligence.

Now to prepare for the AI-driven future, individuals need to develop skills that complement and leverage AI technologies. This includes cultivating critical thinking, creativity, complex problem-solving, and adaptability. Lifelong learning and upskilling will become crucial to stay relevant in the changing job market.

So how do we prepare for the AI revolution that is around the corner?

Learning new skills: Individuals need to keep up with the latest AI technologies and acquire new skills that will make them valuable in the changing job market.

Emphasizing human creativity and empathy: Jobs that require creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence will be less susceptible to automation.

Developing ethical standards and regulations: As AI technologies become more prevalent and powerful, ethical guidelines and standardized regulations are needed to ensure their responsible use.

In conclusion, the impact of AI and the optimism behind it is substantial and will require individuals, businesses, and governments to adapt to the changing landscape while prioritizing ethical considerations. The future with AI presents immense opportunities and potential for transformative changes that could improve society.

Newly Launched Chatbot Of IRCTC Getting Remarkable Response

By LokMarg 23rd September 2022

The newly launched Chatbot of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited) is getting remarkable response from the train passengers during the beta launch as over 1 billion people have used it, a senior IRCTC official said.

While talking to ANI, the official said that the new conversational and convenient feature to book railway tickets enables customers to interact with the system via voice, chat and click based system. Additionally, the system requires no passwords and works based on the One Time Password (OTP).
The official also told that the technology is powered by CoRover, a conversational AI Platform which is being used by more than 1 billion users.

“In our constant pursuit to enhance the user experience, leveraging new age technologies, we are today taking a giant leap. Now, passengers can book their train ticket in a conversational manner, leveraging our AI Virtual Assistant, AskDISHA 2.0, powered by CoRover, the Conversational AI platform, used by more than 1 billion users.”

The improved Virtual Assistant, AskDISHA 2.0 has many features like booking tickets, checking PNR status, cancelling tickets, changing boarding station, checking refund status and answering queries like Tatkal timings.

The official further informed that this is a landmark step towards enhancing the passenger experience.

“First time, the users can book ticket without knowing their IRCTC password, it will be possible just with an OTP. AskDISHA 2.0 has also proven to be a very effective instrument and the addition of voice booking and will make it even easier for travellers to plan their trips,” the official added.

The senior official also estimated that at least 25 percent of clients will be switching to this option in the future.

“It is expected that at least 25 per cent of clients will be switching to this option in the future and also attracting new users who want to book their tickets using the conversational tool rather than chatting. In August 2022, AskDISHA has got around 95 lakh queries, which includes booking request, cancellation and more. Also, it had 88% positive feedback with the AI Accuracy rate of 99 per cent,” the official told ANI.

The official further talked about the “Technological Revolution” in the Indian Railways under the current leadership and government.

“It is notable that the Indian Railways, under the leadership of the Minister for Railways and IT have been undergoing a massive technological revolution in pursuance of Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India’, ‘Made in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’,” the official further said.

“Under the aegis of the present government, the Indian Railways, being one of the largest rail networks of the world have been achieving new milestones of transformation every day in various spheres for improving the travel experience of the passengers,” the official added.

The new avatar of IRCTC’s chatbot, AskDISHA 2.0, aims to help users get authentic, correct and instant answers to their queries. It will not just save time and enhance the user experience, but will also help them in doing end-to-end real-time transactions, the official said. (ANI)

Artificial Intelligence, Actual Challenges

By Kunal Bose 21st October 2021

People in power expectedly seek comfort in the fact that India has more than achieved the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended doctor to population ratio of 1:1,000, described as the ‘golden finishing line’ in 2018. In fact, the ratio is approaching 1.5. This is, however, taking into account the registered medical practitioners of both modern medicine (MBBS and higher degrees) and traditional medicine (AYUSH, the acronym for Ayurveda, yoga & naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy). The yearly intake of nearly 70,000 MBBS students at institutions regulated by the Medical Council of India may look impressive on paper, but this is to be seen in the context of pathetic state of health services beyond cities in vast expanses of semi-urban and rural areas.

People living in Bharat are the sufferers for the low allocation for healthcare in the Union and state budgets year after year ignoring the sane advice of the world’s leading development economists. Indian leaders nurse the ambition that the country be counted among super powers. Nothing wrong in that. But how can that happen when the country is among the lowest budget allocator of GDP in healthcare in the world. Not to cite instances of developed countries, India is distressingly spending less in healthcare, as a percentage of GDP, than Brazil, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Outside tier 1 to 3 cities in India, people may get good, if they are lucky, to indifferent services of general medical practitioners and rarely of specialists. But relief is likely to come to the vast majority living wherever they maybe, depending on how soon the healthcare system will be enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) to be of universal service. The challenge then is to go on feeding the computer with enormous amount of data culled from international and domestic sources relating to diseases, their symptoms, identification and diagnosis, the tests to be done and treatment to be followed thereafter.

The problem that will still be there is the lack of equipment and trained doctors and nurses in rural hospitals and health centres. When it comes to India, the major problem, as has been identified by Anandalal Roy of National Institute of Health, Washington and Kunal Sen, global chief information officer of Encyclopaedia Britannica is the lack of reliable health related data. They say most of the data are illegibly handwritten, almost impossible to decipher and therefore, it is difficult to create an appropriate database.

According to Roy and Sen, in the absence of an ideal training data in database, the computer will not be able to diagnose diseases and recommend ways of treating them. The basic premise is if wrong or incomplete data is fed into the computer, then it will generate wrong results. They, therefore, recommend that steps should be taken to centrally digitise all health related records. Once this enormous time-consuming work is done, it will be possible to access any health record from anywhere by using the computer. In course of time, once sufficient records are collated and fed into the computer they are to become part of database. Roy and Sen say though India is making progress slowly in this direction, it mercifully has remained in course.

Health is, however, one of the many areas where AI will work wonders in terms of service improvement, booster of efficiency sparing people from doing routine work over and over again and operational cost reduction. No wonder then a growing number of companies engaged in manufacturing from metals to automobiles, FMCG products and financial groups are doubling down on introduction of digitisation and AI in their systems in the wake of the globally disruptive Covid-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ: How Artificial Intelligence Fuels Hatred

From logistical planning to supporting sales without being physically in touch with buyers to scripting overall business strategy, AI is proving to be of major aid. Who did coin the word ‘artificial intelligence’ and when? Stanford University professor John McCarthy was the first to use the word in 1955 when he proposed a ten-man summer research on the subject. In proposing the research, McCarthy wrote: “The study is to proceed on the basis of the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.” Moreover, his invention of computer programming language LISP remains the universal language of choice for AI.

As AI continues to make inexorable march to perform humongous amount of work, there are concerns not confined to India that machines progressively taking over many tasks routinely performed by human beings will lead to job losses. But H. James Wilson and Paul R Daugherty say in an article published in Harvard Business Review that “while AI will radically alter how work gets done and who does it, the technology’s larger impact will be in complementing and augmenting human capabilities, not replacing them.”

In their research involving 1,500 companies, the principal finding is that companies achieve maximum performance improvements when humans and machines work in harmony. “Through such collaborative intelligence, humans and AI actively enhance each other’s complementary strengths: The leadership, teamwork, creativity and social skill of the former and the speed, scalability and quantitative capabilities of the latter.”

This and many other similar research findings will help in dispelling misgivings about growing AI application. What must also be taken into consideration are the emerging links between AI and creativity. The survey of a large number of global businesses and leaders in information technology (IT) by MIT Technology Review Insights found that nearly half of them agreed that because of AI “we could dedicate more time to thinking creatively about the business challenges we and our clients face.” AI is exactly freeing people from tedious routine work to be able to be engaged in creative and innovative pursuits.

India has a unique advantage in rapidly employing AI in sectors from health to industry to finance to farming. Not only are the world’s maximum number of students are majoring in the subject in Indian colleges, but this country also hosts the globe’s largest number of companies engaged in development and application of AI, ahead of the US and China. Even while India has this distinctive edge in AI education, Roy and Sen, both residents of the US, regret that beyond graduation, the students migrate to foreign countries to pursue further study, including PhD on the subject. As is expectedly the case, once they leave India, they settle down abroad where employment opportunities in the field are growing fast. Roy and Sen recommend the ways to staunch the brain drain of this intelligent kind will be to create condition for appropriate investment in AI higher education, including facilitating research work and assured jobs after completion of education.