AI: A Necessity Born Of Nature’S Inequality

Life is natural, but the way we live today is no longer purely natural. As we move through the 21st century, our lives are closely connected to the digital world. We live through phones, computers, and the internet. Everything now passes through screens and servers, whether it is information or emotion, work or friendship. Technology has become part of daily living.

Yet, even as we move forward, one truth remains—the world is still unequal. Nature gives in plenty, but access is not equal. Some people have too much, while others have too little. Water, electricity, education, and health services are basic needs, but not everyone gets them.

According to the United Nations, in 2022, more than 2.2 billion people did not have safe drinking water. Around 800 million people sleep hungry despite having enough food worldwide.

Though integral to nature and society, this imbalance has forced humans to think beyond the natural. This is where innovation begins.

Humans look for ways to improve life when nature does not solve everything. And one of the most significant innovations of our time is Artificial Intelligence (AI).

AI did not just appear suddenly. It came from a strong human desire to overcome limits. When time, effort, and workforce were insufficient, people looked for something more innovative.

For example, when there were not enough doctors, AI tools helped diagnose. When teachers could not reach every student, AI-based learning systems filled the gap. When farmers were unsure about the weather, AI offered advice on when to sow seeds. These are not distant dreams; they are already happening.

In India, many real-life examples show how AI is being used for the better. A startup called AI4Rx helps doctors in villages understand diseases based on symptoms. The State Bank of India (SBI) uses AI to provide customised banking experiences for rural customers. A company called CropIn helps farmers by giving them real-time data about their crops. AI saves time, improves work, and helps people make informed decisions. AI assistants help older people control lights or fans through voice commands. Chatbots guide small shop owners in using digital banking services. And they are reaching small towns and remote villages.

Reporters and researchers save hours using AI to convert speech into written text. In hospitals, AI devices track health conditions and send updates to doctors and patients.

This shift — from heavy work to thoughtful work — is more than just practical. It is philosophical. It takes us back to a simple idea: humans are not meant to be machines. We are meant to think, feel, and connect. AI helps us return to being more human, not just more productive.

In this way, AI is not just a machine. It is a mirror. It reflects us — our thinking, our creativity, even our mistakes. AI can recognise faces, write poems, compose songs, and talk to us. It learns and grows, just like we do. But there is one big difference: AI is made by us. It is human-made intelligence, built not from cells but from circuits. So, it is not separate from us. It is part of us — part of human evolution.

If true, we must ask: If AI is biased, does that mean we are biased too? If it lacks compassion, is it because we never taught it kindness? If it is misused, is it because we ourselves see intelligence only as a profit-making tool? These are moral and ethical questions.

A study by MIT in 2019 found that facial recognition systems were less accurate when identifying people with darker skin, especially women. The reason was simple — the data used to train these systems did not include enough diversity. So, the machine picked up the bias of the people who built it. This is dangerous. If we are not careful, we may pass on our worst habits to the machines we create.

That’s why ethics in AI is not optional — it is necessary. AI systems should be open, fair, and explainable. Recently, NITI Aayog has a strategy called “AI for All,” which focuses on the public good.

Life is biological. It begins with birth and ends with death. But living includes culture, relationships, dreams, knowledge, and technology and is more than just breathing. In this broader perspective, AI is a part of our shared journey.

Still, living well is not just about machines doing work. It is about human values—kindness, awareness, and the ability to care. AI can help us organise the world, but only human wisdom can help us give it meaning. AI cannot replace the human touch in healing, teaching, or comforting. That comes only from a living heart.

As we go deeper into the age of AI, we must pause and ask some honest questions. Are we building AI to help humanity or to replace it? Are we educating people to understand and question AI? Are we making it available to everyone or only to the rich and powerful? Moreover, AI is not just about coding. It is about purpose. It is not just about machines. It is about meaning.

Let us not see AI as a threat. Let us treat it as a partner. Let us use it to reduce the very inequalities that forced us to invent it. Let it reach the forgotten corners — not just big cities but small villages. Let it serve people who care, not just those who profit. Let it grow empathy, not just efficiency.

AI is not the end of what it means to be human. It should be our tool, not our master. Let life remain natural — full of trees, rivers, and smiles. But let living become more meaningful, with technology by our side, helping us live not just longer, but better.

(The writer is Programme Head - PGDM BFS, Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad)