AI is disruptive, must be backed by ethics, says union edu minister

“Sustainable progress requires modern capability along with social wisdom,” he said, while urging the colloquium to deliberate on the future role of AI and society

MUMBAI: “Artificial Intelligence, inequality and global conflict have created a situation where human capability is advancing faster than social understanding”, said union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday while addressing the international colloquium at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Calling AI an “inevitable and disruptive” technology, Pradhan said that social sciences must guide technological progress with ethics, human values and social wisdom to ensure that development remained inclusive and human-centric.

AI is disruptive, must be backed by ethics, says union edu minister

Addressing delegates from over 25 countries at the three-day colloquium organised for TISS’ 90th-anniversary celebrations, Pradhan said that in a world facing wars, mistrust, mental health challenges and rapid technological transformation, the key question before society was whether technology would be guided by human values or allowed to move in its own direction. “Sustainable progress requires modern capability along with social wisdom,” he said, while urging the colloquium to deliberate on the future role of AI and society.

Pradhan described social science as an “intangible heritage” that shapes the moral direction of society. He said that institutions such as TISS had played a major role in translating “social responsibility into lived practice” through public engagement and crisis response, from disasters to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Drawing from India’s civilisational traditions, Pradhan used the example of the Mahabharata to explain the deeper meaning of dialogue and deliberation. He said the epic reflected discussions on peace, women empowerment and diplomacy during times of crisis. Even though the conflict eventually led to war, the Bhagavad Gita emerged from that process of dialogue and reflection.

The minister also highlighted India’s historic centres of learning such as Nalanda, Takshashila and Pushpagiri as examples of how Indian civilisation encouraged intellectual exchange and knowledge creation across cultures and traditions.

Pradhan touted “India’s governance and development journey over the last decade” as “worthy of a global case study”. Referring to India’s digital expansion, vaccine production during Covid-19, startup growth and democratic institutions, he declared that the world was “increasingly looking towards the Indian development model”, especially in the Global South. Vineet Joshi, secretary of the higher education department, said the Indian government envisioned a knowledge-centred society where social science research contributed directly to “sustainable development, social justice and community resilience”.

TISS vice-chancellor Badri Narayan Tiwari called for questioning Eurocentric frameworks in social sciences and promoting indigenous knowledge systems and postcolonial experiences. He said that decolonising the social sciences was necessary to create a more inclusive and genuinely global academic order.

The proposed Global Social Science Association, which will function as an international academic platform for collaborative research and academic partnerships on issues concerning the Global South, was also announced at the colloquium. “It will promote partnerships among universities and institutions associated with TISS on issues such as poverty, health, human development, migration, peace, geopolitics, and diplomacy,” said Tiwari. While the Association’s secretariat will initially be hosted by TISS, it will function on a rotating model to ensure broader global participation and shared institutional ownership.