While Modi govt remains upbeat about AI, UN warns about its destabilising effects

Artificial Intelligence could create large-scale unemployment and contribute to worsening inequality, United Nations has warned ahead of a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting on Wednesday.

“… the biggest public fear is that robots and artificial intelligence will replace human jobs on a large scale, resulting in mass unemployment around the world,” a study by UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has noted.

The critical observations about AI come at a time when there is push towards embracing AI in India. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship program of the Modi government, is aimed at training professionals in the use of emerging technologies.

In August, then Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ordered setting up of a task force on AI to ensure “India’s economic transformation.”

It has been pointed out that artificial intelligence would pose further challenges to an already struggling India jobs’ market. The present government has been seen as coming short on its ambitious pledge of creating 1 crore jobs an year, even as the unemploiyment rate has seen a rise to 5 per cent from 4.9 per cent before Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister.

Besides, India is also faced with rising inequality with 1 per cent of the population owning 22 per cent of the wealth, the worst statistic since 1930.

However, the UN seems upbeat about the meeting on Wednesday, which would focus more on benefits of artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies. A press release issued on Tuesday informed that the crucial meeting would be attended by experts from governments, academia, business and civil society from around the world.

AI has been flagged up as a priority area towards achieving UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called artificial intelligence “a new frontier” with “advances moving at warp speed.”

“Artificial Intelligence has the potential to accelerate progress towards a dignified life, in peace and prosperity, for all people,” said Mr. Guterres.

“The time has arrived for all of us – governments, industry and civil society – to consider how artificial intelligence will affect our future,” he added.

Challenges, however, remain. The DESA study predicts that AI and other emerging technologies would benefit higher-skilled workers, while low and medium skilled workers continue to face further pressure from the AI software.

“This could exacerbate the decline of middle-skilled jobs and rising wage inequality observed in the recent past, particularly in many developed countries, according to the UN study.