PM Modi wants 10 problem areas of the society to be identified which can be solved by artificial intelligence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fascination for technology and focus on its use in governance is accepted as a fact of life, as a given that no one bothers to notice — like fog in December and a heat wave in June. So, his statements on Tuesday about the potential of technology and modern digital infrastructure may not attract the attention they deserve. “We are creating modern digital infrastructure in India while also ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution reach every section of the society,” he said, addressing a post-Budget webinar on the subject of ‘Ease of Living using Technology.’ He also said, “Can we identify 10 such problems of the society which can be solved by AI [artificial intelligence]?” It needs to be highlighted that none of Modi’s predecessors were so impressed by the wonders that technology is capable of performing — not even Jawaharlal Nehru, for all his emphasis on rationalism and ‘scientific temperament.’ In fact, India’s relationship with technology became quite adversarial in the first part of the last century, and that was primarily because of Mahatma Gandhi's aversion to technology — indeed to even science and the Western civilisation (which he dismissed as just an “idea”). Hence the glorification of charkha, khadi, etc. — the glorification that had a baneful effect on India. Gandhiji’s contributions to the nation are indisputable but some of his ideas also caused great harm; his attitude towards technology was one of them.

Modi, however, never had antipathy towards technology. Addressing the gathering at the webinar, he said that India of the 21st century is constantly empowering its citizens with the use of technology, adding that every Budget in the past few years has stressed the ease of living for people with the help of technology. In Budget 2023-24, the Prime Minister emphasised, the priority is given to technology and a human touch. The way technology has changed our lives is also seldom noticed. Come to think of it: The way we pay our electricity and phone bills, do online shopping, buy train and plane tickets, book hotels, etc., these days was unthinkable at the turn of the century. The delivery mechanism of various welfare schemes, with the help of technology, has improved considerable—both in terms of the quantum of benefits reaching the beneficiaries and the ease with which they reach. The Prime Minister elaborated upon the role of technology in this by giving examples of One Nation One Ration Card and the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile) trinity, Arogya Setu and CoWin App, and Common Service Centers. These decisions, the Prime Minister rightly pointed out, have enhanced the ease of living of the citizens. “Going a step further, we can identify the areas where dialogue with the Government can be further eased,” he added. All the systems may not be functioning perfectly but technology, and appropriate government intervention, can make things even better.