Hits & Misses; Ron Resistance; Regulating AI  

Opinion Watch            

Hits & Misses

The ninth anniversary of Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is an opportunity to look back and The Asian Age in its Editorial has counted the gains and losses. On the positives, listed the daily, the Covid-19 vaccination tops the list, while lockdown and the second wave were let down.

The daily also hailed digitization, direct cash transfer, infrastructure, railways, foreign affairs, Made in India, Ram Temple & Article 370, ease of doing business, and decisive leadership on positives. It listed communal tensions, job creation, price rise, and institutions under attack as negatives.

The people blessed the Modi government with two decisive mandates, which could have been grounds for giving directional change to the fate of the country, but most often the frivolous dominated the discourse. Incrementalism, little better than status quo, defines the Modi government, and the lack of ability to significantly expand the scale of economy bares the poor talent base in the government.   

Ron Resistance

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has thrown his hat in the ring to challenge Donald Trump for the Republican Party nomination for the 2024 Presidential election, and The Indian Express in its Editorial has argued that there’s not much for celebrations as he is as illiberal as his rival.

The Noida-based daily reminded that DeSantis has equally been divisive as Trump, while flipping on rights of transgender, race, right to abortion, women’s bodily rights, and thus he’s no different than Trump. The daily, quoting DeSantis that “government is not about entertainment, and building brand”, stated that he’s running on his image for “common sense” governance.

Incumbent President of the US Joe Biden and his potential rival Trump have both been disappointments for the global community, including the Americans, for their jaded and unimaginative statecraft. Both account for the US losing the position of global pivot.   

Regulating AI  

Artificial intelligence may soon fit into the old saying that ‘fire is a good servant but bad master’, and this has been conveyed, opined The Telegraph in its Editorial, by the architect of ChatGPT, Sam Altman, in his submission to the US Congress that he may have unleashed something to the world that he may not control. The daily also quoted Goldman Sachs that 300 million jobs could be lost because of AI.

The Kolkata-based daily lent its weight to Altman’s suggestion that AI be regulated, while also stressing that tech-icons such as Elon Musk have called for a pause on new versions of AI systems. It underlined China and the European Union taking steps to regulate to check AI going rogue.

The good and the bad of the AI need to be known, and the institutional heft to gain such insight may be missing in India and the people may blindfolded be laid to the trap of the dark world of technology. This parliamentary standing committee that could have examined issues is now practically in sleep mode.

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