“Let AI Help Cure the Economy’s Ailments”
India has the natural abundance, human talent and a civilisational wisdom that should by now have translated into broad prosperity. Yet 75 years after independence many old ills — corruption, black money, inequality, poor public infrastructure, tax evasion, and uneven delivery of services Social Justice in particular — persist. The paradox is stark: a nation with Nobel laureates, leading scientists and great thinkers continues to suffer avoidable deprivation while a small fraction parades luxury.
This is not only an economic failure and absence of social justice but also ; it is a failure of systems, incentives and governance. Politics, sometimes driven by short-term electoral gains, can warp policy: freebies displace fiscal discipline, regulatory gaps invite abuse, and influence enables insiders to exploit loopholes. The result is a loss of public trust and the squandering of national potential.
Technology — and in particular Artificial Intelligence — is not a panacea. But when deployed thoughtfully, ethically, and at scale it can be the most practical remedy for many entrenched problems. AI can strengthen transparency, detect malpractice, improve delivery of social services, and redesign public administration so that honesty and competence are rewarded rather than undermined.
Imagine tax systems that use machine-assisted analytics to spot suspicious flows and close leakages, without harassing honest citizens. Imagine procurement and tendering platforms that are fully transparent, tamper-resistant and auditable; judicial and case-management tools that reduce delay and frustration; land- and records-management systems that cut out middlemen; and public health and education platforms that deliver personalised learning and care to remote villages. All of these are feasible today.
But technology must be married to ethics. AI systems must be explainable, regulated and subject to independent audit so they do not replicate bias or become new tools for exclusion. Digital rollouts must be accompanied by digital-literacy programmes so the poorest are not left further behind. And governance must be reformed to protect public interest: rules, firewalls and statutory accountability must keep pace with technical capacity.
Equally important is the cultural aspect. India’s philosophical heritage—its emphasis on duty, compassion and the common good—can provide the ethical compass for technological change. Reviving those values in public life, while equipping institutions with modern tools, could produce a synergy the country desperately needs.
The task is urgent. Greed, short-termism and opaque power structures have hollowed out parts of the system. Reversing that requires political will, institutional redesign and wide public engagement. Artificial Intelligence can help expose and prevent malpractices, make public administration efficient and humane, and enable policies that are evidence-based rather than interest-driven.
Let us aspire, not merely to be wealthier, but to be wiser custodians of our resources — human, natural and moral. If deployed with care and integrity, technology and AI can accelerate that transformation and help realise the promise of a just, prosperous India: a nation where “Vasudev Kutumbakam” is more than poetic aspiration — it is the policy outcome.
May noble thought translate into noble action and bring in highly desirable and most enviable results
Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu.
T V G Krishnan
(Personal Views)
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