Rethinking AI: The lessons for India
The 2025 Human Development Report (HDR) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers more than statistics and rankings. While the HDR is often reported in the media for India's position on the Human Development Index (HDI), this year's report demands a much deeper engagement. Titled 'A Matter of Choices: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI', the report invites India, and the world, to reflect on how we are going to deal with transformative technologies like AI which will probably shape the future of the world..It forces nations to rethink and confront urgent ethical, social, and political questions of our times, especially around AI. It places AI at the centre of the development discourse and raises a pressing question: will AI empower humanity or deepen inequality? In India, where rapid digital growth coexists with vast socio-economic gaps, the answer will be decided by the choices we make now..A key aspect of the report highlights a troubling paradox. Despite unprecedented technological advances, global human development is stagnating. The rebound from the 2020-21 decline in HDI is weak, and gaps between high and low HDI countries are widening. AI is hailed as a transformative force – 'the new electricity' – and yet, the lived reality for millions remains unchanged or in fact, worsened..This paradox is highly relevant for India. Though it is the fastest-growing major economy and home to an expanding digital infrastructure, it faces persistent inequalities in education, healthcare, gender equity, and digital access. Without intentional and inclusive policy design, AI may deepen these divides..Rather than treating AI as inherently good or bad, the HDR calls for a people-centric approach that gives primacy to human agency. The future of AI, it argues, must be guided by democratic values, ethical governance, and shared responsibility. If not, we risk replacing human agency with algorithmic control..For India, this means building AI tools and institutions that serve the many, not just the few. India's growing digital platforms along with its startup ecosystem give it a strong foundation. But realising the full potential of AI will require conscious efforts to embed human rights, privacy, fairness, and inclusion into AI design, deployment, and governance..The report makes a strong case for 'AI-augmented human development' rather than AI-led automation. It urges nations to create 'complementary economies' where AI enhances human creativity and productivity rather than replacing it. This is critical for a labour-rich country like India, where the real challenge lies in generating decent-quality jobs..The HDR also warns of rising geopolitical tensions and the growing weaponisation of AI. With China and the US competing to dominate AI development and markets, developing countries risk becoming dependent 'data colonies.' But AI is not merely an industrial or strategic arms race; it is a political and ethical choice. For India, the goal should not be dominance but dignity: building an AI model that respects its constitutional values, protects diversity, and serves all sections of society..India has no choice but to tread carefully. As a founding member of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) and a leader of the Global South, it is well positioned to champion multilateral governance of AI that is inclusive and accountable. But it must avoid falling into techno-nationalism or strategic alignments that compromise its sovereignty or developmental goals..From user to leader.Another critical insight in the HDR is the emergence of an AI divide – a new form of inequality layered over existing development gaps. Countries at the AI frontier are moving at jet speed, while others are falling behind. India, though ambitious, lags in investments, infrastructure, and global influence in AI..Interestingly, the report cites LinkedIn data showing that India has the world's highest self-reported AI skill penetration. But this alone is not enough. Are we producing AI creators or merely users? Are we building indigenous technologies or relying on foreign platforms? To move from aspiration to leadership, India must invest in research, computing capacity, open data frameworks, and talent retention..The HDR rightly identifies the vacuum in AI governance. It calls for new models of regulation that are transparent, flexible, and responsive to societal needs. As our earlier experience suggests, in the absence of strong public institutions, private tech companies set the rules. This is a global problem but also a local opportunity. India must lead by example. As the world's largest democracy, it can propose frameworks that are rooted in constitutional rights, participatory governance, and public accountability. India can advocate for global AI standards that reflect the priorities of the Global South..Finally, perhaps the most important contribution of the HDR is its emphasis on narrative. The way AI is discussed – as destiny, disruption or deliverance – shapes public policy. The report warns against surrendering to narratives that glorify automation and ignore the social consequences of unchecked innovation. In India, the media, civil society, and academia must foster informed debates on AI. They must question hype, expose harm, and amplify marginal voices. India's rich democratic tradition offers the perfect ground for promoting such discourse. But this requires vigilance and active engagement, not passive adoption..In a way, the UNDP's 2025 HDR offers a sobering but powerful message: human development is not determined by machines but by choices. The age of AI is not just a test of our intelligence but of our wisdom. India with its unique demographic, technological, and democratic mix, has the opportunity to craft an alternative AI path – one that is inclusive, ethical, and globally relevant. In the end, the question is not whether AI will define our future. The question is: will we define AI to serve a future we believe in?.(The writer is a professor of journalism and Regional Director at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal)
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