Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration
Credit: Reuters Photos
Bengaluru: A panel of AI scholars and public technologists discussed the dilemmas and possibilities of regenerative AI at the ‘Our Digital Futures Fest’ on Friday evening.
Organised by IT for Change, a Bengaluru-based non-profit working on digital justice, the week-long event is part of its 25-year celebrations.
The panel discussion, titled ‘Regen AI Futures: Dimensions, Dilemmas and Directions', featured Brian Chen, Policy Director, Data & Society; José Renato Laranjeira de Pereira, Sustainable AI Lab, Universität Bonn; Sabina Dewan, Founder and Executive Director, Just Jobs Network; and Rahul Poruri of FOSS United.
It was moderated by Anita Gurumurthy, Founding Member and Executive Director of IT for Change. The speakers underscored the need for stronger AI regulation.
Sabina highlighted the urgency of labour protection and reforms in education and skill systems. “We need to build social architecture that works. Online biases are replicating offline biases,” she said.
The discussion also examined the impact of AI on global education and the workforce.
“Generative AI has shifted the dynamics between problem finders and implementers. Many now believe they can do everything themselves, but lack the experience to judge if their solutions are right,” said Poruri.
Agreeing with Denmark’s move to ban social media for children aged below 16, Sabina warned: “The harm is too high. We are creating generations that have lost the ability to think and problem-solve. It is dangerous.”
Anita said Gen AI, which learns from vast data to create new content, has become a decisive yet troubling part of the tech revolution.
“It comes with a huge, invisible water and energy footprint and exploitative data labour from the global South. We seem to be coming full circle to another colonial order, without real benefits for humanity,” she said.