Elections, AI & jobs

While campaigning for the remaining phases of general elections, politicians should provide strategies to ensure that AI creates more new jobs than the ones it would render redundant

- SUMALI MOITRA

As India's political parties gear up their strategies for the remaining phases of the general elections, it may be good if their campaigns, going forward, could see mention of how they would like to address the mounting challenge that increased sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies potentially poses to numerous legacy white-collar jobs be that of call centre staff, legal clerks, etc. - in the world's most populous nation.

It could be even better if prominent political leaders could specifically provide some inkling of the strategy that they have in mind to ensure that AI creates more new jobs than the ones that are likely to be rendered redundant in the country due to greater use of the technology in various sectors.

And, also, share their thoughts on the kind of safety net that, should their parties come to power, would be put in place to take care of the interests of those whose job losses may be directly attributable to AI deployment.

Political parties doing so would be in the fitness of things since employment figures in the list of major issues on which the current Lok Sabha polls are being fought.

India's 7-phase general elections, which began on April 19, will conclude on June 1.

Unfortunately, the issue of AI and its impact on jobs has hardly figured during campaigning by different political parties during the first two phases of the general elections.

The reason behind leaders choosing to steer clear of the AI vis-à-vis jobs topic during their rallies, thus far, is unclear.

Former Infosys board member V Balakrishnan finds the absence of the discussion on AI unacceptable.

In response to this writer's query on whether the AI visà-vis jobs issue should figure prominently in the political discourse during the ongoing election process, Balakrishnan said: