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Writer's pictureAshok K Pandey

Good Technology is Akin to Magic




Technologies are inevitable and nobody can prevent from taking its benefits. The issue is how to optimize technology for the social good. And here comes the issue of responsible development and usage of technology.


Human thought develops inductively through the acquisition of data. Human brains understand data, analyse it, model it and process it. We also deal with several processes, influence them and derive expectations and results from them. Technology has assumed the role of the human brain, and machines are doing the same from a pile of data, modelling, and statistical algorithms. However, there is a very significant difference between human and machine functioning. Machines work more on hallucinating effects and pretend to think like a person, which is not true. Human beings have intentions, a conscience and an interest in what they do. Generative models and pre-trained don’t have these.

Technology is value-neutral, and the value of technology lies in what we choose to do with it. And therefore, it is not the problem of the algorithm; it is a problem with our own set of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. AI is not a silver bullet, but it can tackle some of the world's most challenging social problems. The world has already seen the prowess of AI in diagnosing cancer, helping the visually impaired navigate their surroundings, identifying victims of trafficking, animal poaching, in-aiding disaster relief efforts and more.

Let us look at the big picture: the world has a serious problem of hunger, poverty, lack of clean water energy, climatic changes, inequalities, lack of quality education and weakening democratic institutions. And therefore, the challenge before AI is to maximise the user cases for social good. In the UN’s scheme of things, 17 Goals are identified for the world's Sustainable Development; in all, 170 user cases are already established where AI is making a huge difference.


We have to build new capabilities, bottlenecks need to be overcome, and risks need to be identified and mitigated and scaling up the application. AI can only succeed if we improve its accessibility, bring in a pool of talent and take the benefits of AI to the last mile of implementation challenges.


We must embrace the technology that is best for humans- One that promotes self-expression, social equity, and sustainability. Good technology makes us, individually and collectively, self-reliant and encourages participative decision-making. It refines our intellect, moderates our temper, enhances our imagination, and invigorates our emotions. The famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke famously said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Let's strive for that magic.


The article first published in Brainfeed Magazine, June 2023,



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