AI beneficial, but judicious use must: Khattar

Stating that while Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be beneficial in every field, be it communication, technology, space technology, agriculture or healthcare, Minister of Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar cautioned that it can be a double-edged weapon and stressed on its judicious and ethical use.

“Today, we can solve any problem using AI, whether it's solving past problems or predicting future ones,” he said, while speaking at a session of 'New Era Technology' at the India International Science Festival here today.

"My request to AI scientists is that AI is crucial science, just like nuclear science. If we use nuclear technology for constructive purposes, it can be extremely beneficial, but if used destructively, it can cause devastation,” he said.

AI was venturing into areas like gene editing, and could potentially stop incurable diseases, Khattar said, but cautioned, "If we create disorder out of order, the whole system could be at risk. Once AI is released, it may not be undone. So, we need to be extremely careful.”

He said there had been many discussions on the use of technology in the energy sector and how AI could be applied to smart metering. Smart meters would help control energy usage, and AI tools would be integrated for better efficiency.

Addressing students, he said when they became scientists in the future, the responsibility would not be just to develop new research or innovations to benefit society, but also to raise awareness among people. “You will have to help people understand what is good and what is not. This will have a huge impact on everything," he said.