Syllabus
Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation (GS 2)
Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life (GS 3)
Source
The Hindu,26/09/2023
Context
India is to host the first ever global summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in October(2023).
Content
- Generative Artificial Intelligence refers to the capability of artificial intelligence-enabled machines to use existing text, audio files, or images to create new content.
- The use of Generative AI is still in its early stages, and its impact is likely to grow as technology continues to evolve and improve.
- Many cutting-edge AI deployments are not designed specifically for children but are nevertheless accessed by them.
Significance of AI for India
- Boosting Economy:AI is projected to add $500 billion to India’s economy by 2025, accounting for 10% of the country’s target GDP.
- Global Leader:Opportunity for India to set a policy example for the Global South.
- AI in Agriculture: AI can help double farmers’ income through improved production planning and yield.
- AI in Healthcare: AI-based applications have helped biopharmaceutical companies to significantly shorten the preclinical drug identification and design process from several years to a few days or months.
- Large Workforce: India has a large young population that is skilled and eager to adopt AI.
- National Artificial Intelligence Mission: AI is touted to be the bedrock of Government of India’s efforts to develop sectors like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education, Smart Cities & Infrastructure, Smart Mobility & Transportation, etc.
Advantages of Generative AI for Children
- Personalized Learning : AI can tailor learning material, pace, sequence, and difficulty to each student’s needs.
- Adaptive Learning Resources: AI may improve the adaptivity of learning resources to students’ strengths and needs.
- Knowledge Acquisition: AI can help students both to flourish and to learn powerful knowledge.
- Democratization of Education:AI has the potential to democratize education by providing world-class education regardless of where students reside.
- Increased Engagement: AI-driven algorithms can be used to recommend learning materials based on individual student preferences, increasing motivation and engagement in the classroom.
- Improved Quality of Teaching: AI can be used to analyze teaching data and provide teachers with actionable insights into how they can improve their teaching methods.
- Improved Assessment: AI can be used to automate assessment tasks, such as grading essays or providing feedback on student work.
- AI-powered Tutoring: AI can provide personalized tutoring, helping students learn at their own pace.
Challenges of Generative AI for Children
- Many cutting edge AI deployments are not designed specifically for children but are nevertheless accessed by them.
- Issues of addiction, mental health, and overall safety.
- Tech-based distortions of ideal physical appearance(s) can trigger body image issues in children.
- Misinformation, Radicalisation, Cyberbullying, Sexual grooming, and Doxxing are other malicious threats emerging from AI.
| Cyberbullying: Use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. Sexual grooming: Sexual grooming refers to grooming where the offender aims to sexually abuse the child. Doxxing: Doxing /Doxxing is the act of revealing identifying information about someone online, such as their real name, home address, workplace, phone, financial, and other personal information. That information is then circulated to the public without the victim’s permission. Misinformation: False or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive. Radicalisation: Action or process of causing someone to adopt radical positions on political or social issues. |
- AI powered deep fake capabilities can be misused to target young people wherein bad actors create morphed sexually explicit depictions and distribute them online.
DPDP Act and Data Protection of Children
- The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 applies to the processing of digital personal data within the territory of India collected online or collected offline and later digitized.
- The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 mandates that parental consent is required to process the data of a child.
- Thus,It transfers an inordinate burden on parents to protect their children’s interests and does not facilitate safe platform operations and/or platform design.
International Best Practices
- UNICEF’s guidance for policymakers on AI and children identifies nine requirements for child centered AI which draws on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- California’s Age Appropriate Design Code Act pushes for transparency to ensure that digital services configure default privacy settings; assess whether algorithms, data collection, or targeted advertising systems harm children; and use clear, age appropriate language for user facing information.
- Australia’s Online Safety Youth Advisory Council which comprises people between the ages of 13-24 years is also an example. It was set up to provide young people a voice about online safety policy.
Way Forward
Top down Approach
- Need of an Indian Age Appropriate Design Code for AI. Indian authorities should encourage research which collects evidence on the benefits and risks of AI for India’s children and adolescents.
Bottom up Approach
- Parental Controls: Most devices and online platforms offer parental control settings. These can be used to block inappropriate content, limit screen time, and monitor online activity.
- Awareness:Teach children about the importance of not sharing personal information online, the potential dangers of interacting with strangers on the internet, and how to identify and avoid scams and malware.Children should be aware of the ethical use of AI.
Related Topics
Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)
- The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
- Built around a shared commitment to the OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence, GPAI brings together engaged minds and expertise from science, industry, civil society, governments, international organizations and academia to foster international cooperation.
- India is among the Founding members of GPAI.
- India takes over as Council Chair of Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) for 2022-23.
Reference
- https://gpai.ai/about/
- https://indianexpress.com/subscribe/campaign-all-access-4/?utm_source=Moengage&utm_medium=OSM&utm_campaign=article
- https://indiaai.gov.in/article/exploring-the-impact-of-ai-on-the-education-industry-eight-transformative-changes
Practice Question
Discuss the potential risks and challenges posed by AI in relation to the data protection of children. Provide examples to substantiate your answer.