AI & Ethics

An AI-powered Bhagavad Gita project has reignited debates on authenticity, selfhood, and ethical challenges of artificial intelligence.

Background & Context

• Rise of Generative AI: Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and AI-powered cultural projects (e.g., Gita with AI) simulate human-like creation.
• Philosophical Concern: Questions about whether AI can possess identity, originality, or selfhood.
• Institutional Context: NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (2018) highlights ethics, accountability, and inclusiveness as core AI principles.

Ethical Questions Raised

• Authenticity: If an AI translates, interprets, or explains the Bhagavad Gita, does it carry the authority of human wisdom?
• Selfhood: Can algorithms embody human consciousness, or are they only mathematical imitations of thought?
• Identity Crisis: Reliance on AI risks diluting originality, creativity, and cultural ownership.

Social & Cultural Implications

• Knowledge Production: AI challenges traditional modes of authorship, literature, and scripture interpretation.
• Religious & Philosophical Concerns: The Gita project raises anxiety over mixing sacred traditions with machine logic.
• Misinformation Risks: Deepfakes and AI-generated religious/spiritual content may mislead devotees and citizens.

Broader Policy & Governance Dimensions

• India’s Position: No dedicated AI law yet; reliance on IT Act (2000), DPDP Act (2023), and proposed Digital India Act.
• Global Trends:
  • EU AI Act (2023): Classifies AI by risk categories (unacceptable, high, limited).
  • US: Promotes innovation with voluntary ethical standards.
  • China: State-controlled AI deployment aligned with ideology.
• Indian Challenge: Balance between innovation and protection of cultural integrity, jobs, and ethical safeguards.

Challenges

• Philosophical: AI lacks consciousness; raises “authenticity paradox.”
• Regulatory: No mechanism to verify originality of AI outputs.
• Social: Job displacement in creative industries, weakening of human agency.
• Geopolitical: Dependence on foreign AI tech raises strategic vulnerabilities.

Way Forward

• AI Ethics Charter: Adopt guidelines emphasizing originality, attribution, and cultural sensitivity.
• Authenticity Labelling: Mandatory watermarking of AI-generated cultural/religious content.
• Inclusive Regulation: Draft an Indian AI Act inspired by EU’s risk-based approach but tailored to Indian socio-cultural contexts.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate citizens on the difference between human-authored and AI-generated texts.
• Indigenous AI Development: Promote AI models trained in Indic languages, traditions, and ethics.
• Philosophical Integration: Involve philosophers, ethicists, and cultural leaders in AI policy-making.