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By:

Prasad Dixit

11 October 2024 at 1:09:23 am

The Human Advantage in an Artificial Age

As artificial intelligence grows smarter and more efficient, the real battle may not be about machines surpassing humanity but about whether humans squander the qualities that still set them apart. With the recent news of a Chinese robot beating the human record in a half- marathon, there is renewed debate on how AI could outsmart human beings. Many experts see it as yet another proof of impending disaster as AI takes over most of the jobs in the years to come. This is not the first time when...

The Human Advantage in an Artificial Age

As artificial intelligence grows smarter and more efficient, the real battle may not be about machines surpassing humanity but about whether humans squander the qualities that still set them apart. With the recent news of a Chinese robot beating the human record in a half- marathon, there is renewed debate on how AI could outsmart human beings. Many experts see it as yet another proof of impending disaster as AI takes over most of the jobs in the years to come. This is not the first time when human civilization is facing a technological revolution that has the potential to impact society and economy in a profound manner. There is, however, a crucial difference with AI driven revolution that is often missed out. The first industrial revolution happened because steam engines were invented and it led to mechanization of production. It was followed by discovery of electrical energy and technologies to harness it for mass production. Next wave of evolution was led by computerization and automation in practically all the fields covering both offices and industrial shop floors through mainframes, personal computers, and programmable logic controllers. While all these leaps in technologies are very different in terms of the specific underlying inventions, they all have one thing in common. They were all invented to do things that were humanly impossible to do. One steam engine or electric motor could do the work that perhaps hundreds of humans would never be able to accomplish even with their collective muscle power. Automation of the manufacturing assembly line would deliver speed and accuracy that human beings would never be able to achieve. Beyond Human Technological advances in Telecommunication, for that matter, have simply expanded the range of 'hearing' and 'seeing' far beyond what human vocal chords, ears, and eyes could manage to do on their own. Computers, at its core, are essentially doing the math and calculations at a speed and accuracy that the human brain can never achieve. To add to that, machines using all these innovations in technology would work tirelessly without any fatigue for a duration that human beings would never be able to match. Although AI is yet another highly potent technological innovation, it is not as straightforward as the previous ones. It can absorb and synthesize huge amounts of data that the human brain perhaps cannot do. Ability of AI to answer any question reasonably well using all the global knowledge made available to it, summarize enormous amount of data and text quickly, quickly draw a complex picture based on instructions given verbally, predict a trend, recognize and highlight a specific face in a fraction of a second from millions of faces, write code based on simple English instructions, are all examples where the speed and accuracy of underlying computation is delivering what human being cannot match. However, there are several areas where human beings are trying to improve AI so that it can, some day, match or exceed capability that human beings themselves already have. Examples of this include the ability of AI to completely replace a human driver safely in all situations, understand full context or an intent behind a statement, carry out complex and well-coordinated mechanical activity in response to various unpredictable situations, react appropriately by correctly assessing the emotions at play, integrate generated code appropriately in the existing larger systems landscape, and so on. In such cases, AI is not exhibiting any capability that is humanly impossible to match. On the contrary, AI is trying to catch up with what humans can do easily. In other words, in these areas, AI is trying to become what humans already are. This very aspect separates AI driven technology revolution from all the previous ones. Direct Competition It is often said that AI and humans will co-exist in the future, and people will need to change their ways of working. It is obvious that AI is also going to directly compete with humans in many sectors. Equipment with an embedded chip on-board do compete with humans even today. A case in point is household equipment such as ‘intelligent’ washing machines and dish-washers where robots to do vacuum cleaning and floor mopping do compete with humans offering these services. A human household help can perform these activities far better than what a machine can do. However, given an affordable choice, an increasing number of households prefer machines over human maid services for a reason. Human household help may not always be punctual, sincere, honest, and reliable. But machines are. Uncontrolled emotions, anger, frustration, laziness, indiscipline, absenteeism do affect humans - but not AI driven machines (at least till the time AI itself acquires emotions of its own, and becomes self-aware some day). This aspect of comparison between AI and humans is likely to become far more prominent and consequential as AI driven machines and robots become more and more intelligent and thereby start competing far more effectively with human capability in many spheres. Competition is said to bring about improvement. Just as AI improves itself through continuous learning to mimic human behaviour and actions, human workforce also needs to improve itself by avoiding behavioural issues and inefficiencies referred to above. Otherwise, humans would lose the natural advantage that they still enjoy over AI, and which is likely to continue even in the foreseeable future. Employers or consumers in the labour-intensive service sector will accept AI driven machines and robots with all its known limitations if it turns out to be a better net-net deal in comparison to services offered by humans. This specific aspect has tremendous significance for India. Many Countries from the developed world do not have a young population with reasonably good IQ in required numbers. India, on the other hand, has it in abundance. One could compare it with abundant availability of Thorium or Sunlight in India as compared to the Western world. Consequently, unlike many Countries in the world that have a Uranium centric approach towards nuclear energy, India's approach needs to be centered around Thorium. India's strategy related to renewable, non-conventional, green energy needs to be based on solar power. Indian Context Strategies for adopting AI in the Indian context need to be similarly tailored for the Indian context. India needs to adopt AI in the areas where it clearly has an advantage over humans in terms of speed, throughput, ease of use, accuracy, and efficiency. However, the use of AI needs to be judiciously controlled in areas where AI is trying to catch up with the capabilities of the human mind and body. Several labour-intensive services such as drivers, caregivers for the elderly people, parcel delivery, security guards, maintenance and repair of various equipment, are all examples in that category. Educational policies and overall work culture in the Country needs to appreciate this reality. Just as AI experts are trying hard to 'teach' AI algorithms and improve them through supervised learning, another set of experts need to sensitize and teach humans on how to understand, appreciate, preserve, and further hone the significant natural advantage that they already have over AI. Despite all the technological breakthroughs in AI, in many areas, still, it is a battle that humans will lose only if they choose to. (The writer works in the Information Technology sector. Views personal.)

Chequered Legacy

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Chequered Legacy

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a veteran of Indian politics, now finds himself at a critical juncture, balancing a legacy of social justice against the backdrop of serious allegations. With a political career spanning over four decades, Siddaramaiah, 76, who has been projected as a champion for the marginalized, now faces scrutiny over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case—a scandal that could that threatens not just his second term as CM but has the potential to permanently tarnish his legacy.

Born into a humble family of shepherds in the village of Siddaramanana Hundi in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah’s early life was fraught with challenges. He often had to abandon school to help his family with cattle grazing. A teacher recognized his potential and mentored him, paving the way for his education at Mysore University, where he earned a B.Sc. and later a law degree, becoming the first in his family to do so.

His political journey began in the 1970s, influenced by the socialist ideals of Rammanohar Lohia. Elected to the Taluk Development Board in 1978, he formed close alliances within the farmers’ movement led by M.D. Nanjundaswamy. By 1983, he had won his first Assembly seat, championing issues like Kannada language rights and regional pride. His efforts to promote a state flag reflected a deep-rooted commitment to Karnataka’s identity.

After shifting allegiances among various parties—including the Janata Party and Janata Dal—Siddaramaiah found a stable platform in the Congress Party in 2006, following a fallout with JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda. His governance has been characterized by a strong emphasis on welfare initiatives, notably the ‘Anna Bhagya’ (free rice) scheme, exemplified his commitment to tackling poverty.

His long association with various political parties eventually led him to enter the Congress fold, where he has served with distinction, particularly during his tenure as chief minister from 2013 to 2018.

And yet, for a political career built on seemingly hallowed ideals and lofty principles, Siddaramaiah now finds himself under siege after the Lokayukta Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him concerning allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 prime sites worth Rs.56 crore to his wife, Parvathi. This move followed a special court’s directive for an investigation after an RTI activist lodged a complaint. The Karnataka High Court upheld the Governor’s decision to sanction this inquiry, adding legal weight to the accusations.

Amidst these developments, Siddaramaiah remains resolute, asserting that he will not resign from his position despite the opposition BJP clamouring for his ouster.

The political implications of the MUDA case extend beyond Siddaramaiah himself. The BJP has characterized the Congress government’s recent withdrawal of general consent for the CBI to investigate state cases as evidence of corruption.

As the political temperature heats up in the wake of the MUDA scam, Siddaramaiah’s relationship with D.K. Shivakumar, the state Congress president, will be crucial especially given that it was the latter who was primarily responsible for the Congress’ victory in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election and was seen as a CM candidate. However, following prolonged negotiations, Shivakumar had accepted the role of deputy CM. Yet the power dynamics between the two leaders could impact the party’s cohesion and effectiveness in governance in what is arguably Siddaramaiah’s most critical political hour.

As Siddaramaiah navigates this political quagmire, he also has to address pressing issues, particularly those affecting the AHINDA coalition (acronym representing minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) that has been central to his political ideology. Balancing the diverse needs of his constituents with the call for transparency and accountability will be critical as he seeks to retain public trust likely to have been eroded following the MUDA case developments.

Either way, Siddaramaiah’s second term as CM is slated to be extremely complex. In the event he manages to weather the MUDA tempest, his ability to manage the fiscal challenges of welfare programs and deliver genuine benefits without compromising the state’s fiscal health will be vital in the coming days. This will be key in demonstrating his skill as a shrewd political operator or mark the decline and fall of his political fortunes.

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