New Delhi: Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI is becoming an important part of our lives today. From government to big companies, discussions are being held everywhere about the use of AI and its future. But in this entire debate, one question is often left behind that what impact is this technological change having on the lives of common people, especially women?
Nimisha Jha's book 'India's AI Through Her Lens: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Lives of India's Women' tries to explain this question, how AI is changing our lives and society. Instead of the technical details of AI, the book focuses on its impact on everyday life. It also covers aspects related to women, gender, governance and public policy and how the rapidly growing AI technology can impact our society.
AI is not just technology, also a part of society
The special thing about the book is that in it AI has neither been described as the solution to every problem nor has it been presented as a major threat. Instead, the author tries to explain how the technology is influenced by the thinking, priorities, and institutions of the people who create and use AI. That is, the question is not just what AI can do, but also in which direction AI is taking our society.
Attempt to see AI from Indian perspective
There is a lot of discussion around the world about AI, but every country has its own social and economic conditions. India has a great diversity of languages, cultures, social classes and institutions. In such a situation, it is not necessary that the AI approaches or models made in other countries are completely applicable to every situation in India.
Keeping this in mind, Nimisha Jha's book shows AI by connecting it with Indian conditions. In this, an attempt has been made to explain how the rapidly growing technology in India can affect different parts of the society.
Women's role is not limited to just users
An important part of the book is also related to the role of women in the world of technology. Women are not shown solely as users of AI or as deserving of its benefits. The book also emphasizes that women can play an important role in technology-related decisions, leadership and policy making processes.
This aspect is also important because the impact of AI is going to increase in the coming times on many areas like education, employment, health, finance and government services. In such a situation, women's participation is not only necessary but also important to make technology more inclusive.
Serious topic explained in easy language
Writing on a topic like AI is often challenging, as it involves a lot of technical terms and complex concepts. However, this book has tried to present these issues in a relatively simple and understandable manner. This is the reason why it is not necessary to have knowledge of computer science to read it.
The book also includes AI-related policies, research and expert discussions, making the topic easier to understand. The good thing is that despite all this, the language has been kept quite simple and easy, hence no special technical or academic knowledge is required to read it.
The writing style of the book is balanced
Nowadays, two types of things are heard mostly about AI, firstly, either it is called a revolutionary technology that will change the future or concerns are expressed about the dangers associated with it. This book takes a balanced path between the two. Instead of creating any kind of fear or sensation regarding AI, the author has seriously talked about its benefits, challenges and social impact. An attempt has also been made to explain the topic through different examples and policy issues.
Of course, some readers may expect more detail on international rules related to AI or some other aspects of the technology. But this does not diminish the importance of the book; rather, by posing different questions, it gives the readers an opportunity to form their own opinion.
Why is this book important in the era of AI?
The use of AI in India is going to increase rapidly in the coming years. Its impact will not be limited to just tech companies, but will reach government services, education, employment, health and the everyday lives of common people. In such a situation, it is important to understand for whom the technology is being developed and how many people of the society are being benefited from it.
'India's AI Through Her Lens' reminds us in this direction that the future of AI will not be decided only by its technical capability or the earnings it generates. It will also matter how much AI promotes equal opportunity, fairness and human dignity in society. Overall, this book forces readers to think about some important questions rather than just providing information about AI. Along with this, what kind of society technology is creating and what will be the role of women in that society, these are the questions that make this book special.