Man and Superman: India’s Prospects in the Age of AI (Part 8)

Next, we’re going to have to deal with a subject that threatens India’s otherwise bright prospects in the 21st century: climate change.

You are all acutely aware of the intense heat India is experiencing.

There are also acute water problems on the horizon. The Gangotri glacier is melting. 

On water, I have long been of the opinion that India’s long coastline needs to be densely populated with water desalination plants. While it is an expensive solution, in the grand scheme of things, it is also the most obvious solution. In a sense, it is a low-hanging fruit.

And then, AI can be used to distribute the water efficiently, make sure leakages are automatically fixed, and the overall efficiency of water supply in India is managed much better.

On heat, there are many applications of AI on the horizon from smart buildings, green buildings, clean energy, smart grids, etc. In commercial, industrial, and residential real estate, AI will play a big role to achieve efficiency, control emissions, and improve sustainability. Policy-level interventions need to drive India starting now. We don’t have time to waste.

Cars, of course, are a huge contributor to the climate crisis. Unfortunately, India has encouraged car ownership at a massive scale. In this era of ride sharing, why do people need to buy so many cars of their own? Why can’t we design a society with far fewer cars on the streets, far better public transport, ride-sharing, and incentives for using them?

There are stark consequences to India’s inability to manage the climate crisis. 

And if the climate crisis is allowed to unravel unchecked, then we will have far fewer of the species of Man left to upgrade to Superman.

We don’t want that. India has to get its act together and design good policy so that a billion people do not get wiped out off the face of this earth.

This segment is part 8 in the series : Man and Superman: India's Prospects in the Age of AI
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