The session was part of the centre’s panel presentation series: ‘Meijin-Samvad’, that is, ‘Expert-Conversation’
25 September, 2023, Bengaluru: The Mizuho India Japan Study Centre (MIJSC) at IIM Bangalore hosted a webinar titled, ‘How Might AI Reshape Society? Global Case Studies including Indian & Japanese Experiences’, as part of its panel presentation series: ‘Meijin-Samvad’, that is, ‘Expert-Conversation’, on 19th September 2023. The ‘Meijin-Samvad’ discussion series involves a select group of panelists from India and Japan, who share different perspectives on a particular topic, with a larger audience.
The speakers at the event included: Dr. Kentaro Toyama, W K Kellogg Professor of Community Information at the University of Michigan School of Information and a Fellow of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT, and Dr. Subhayan Mukerjee, Assistant Professor at the Department of Communications and New Media and a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community, the National University of Singapore. The moderator of the conversation was Saideep Rathnam, Chief Operating Officer, Mizuho India Japan Study Centre, IIMB. The speakers discussed various aspects of Japan’s and India's unique position in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) landscape, during the session.
Prof. Kentaro Toyama explained that technology generally amplifies existing human forces, whether positive or negative, rather than being inherently good or bad. “Artificial Intelligence has to be made accessible to everyone, especially in developing nations. Moreover, governments have to integrate AI into public services effectively.”
Prof. Subhayan Mukerjee discussed the impact of AI on society, including its potential to create and replace jobs. Highlighting that, “There is a significant need for responsible and sustainable AI development”, he also spoke about the challenges of regulating AI effectively.
During the discussions, participants gained insights into various aspects, especially the focus on the transformative influence of AI on the society. The experts delved into various aspects of this technological revolution, shedding light on both its promises as well as its challenges. One key concern highlighted was job displacement due to AI, especially in countries like India, where millions are employed in sectors susceptible to automation. While acknowledging these concerns, the experts also stressed that AI has the potential to create entirely new job categories, such as AI ethicists and auditors, paving the way for a more diversified job market. Overall, the webinar cautioned that the pace and direction of development may lead us into a singularity where all current rules would no longer apply. Having said this, the panellists agreed that if policy makers and developers use caution, AI's transformative power can help us steer it towards a future that benefits all of humanity.
The webinar was followed by a Q&A session. The link to the video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wgN4etg_sw&t=63s