Rahul Gandhi: During a recent engagement in Dallas, Texas, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi shared insights into some Indian cultural ideas and what emerging technologies like AI portend for humanity.
Understanding ‘Devta’
“Devta in India actually means a person whose internal feelings are exactly the same as his external expression, meaning he is a completely transparent being, it does not mean god. If a person tells me everything he believes or thinks and expresses it openly, that’s the definition of a Devta…What’s interesting about our politics is how do you suppress your own ideas, how do you suppress your own fears, greed, or ambitions and observe other people’s fears and ambitions,” said Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi began by elaborating upon the Indian notion of Devta – generally poorly understood as meaning ‘divine’. He explained how ‘Devta’ stands for much higher values of culture and ideals. What is more interesting in politics, according to him, is the way one suppresses his ideas, fears, greed, or ambition and puts himself into observing others. He signaled that understanding and listening to others are imperative in political life. “Listening is much more important than speaking,” he said, underlining it as a basic trait of the leadership. As quoted, Gandhi said that the concentration on resolving key issues, rather than raising all kinds of concerns, will have the leaders know which battle to fight.
AI and Job Market Skepticism
Coming to technology, Gandhi said that too was directly related to AI and the skepticism over the number of jobs. He even drew an analogy with how people were skeptical when computers or calculators were introduced, saying they would take away jobs. To say the least, said Gandhi, the emergence of AI challenges is there, but the question of skepticism in technological advancement needs to be balanced between opportunity and risk.
“Every time a new technology arrives, there is concern that it will take jobs away. Computers were said to take jobs away when they first arrived, but they ended up creating millions of jobs in India. Similarly, AI will take some jobs away but will also create new ones. The impact will differ across industries,” Gandhi noted.
He added, “I believe the IT industry in India could face significant challenges due to AI, while other industries, like scooter manufacturing, may not be as affected. How AI impacts jobs will depend on how industries position themselves, if they adapt well, AI could be an opportunity, but if not, it could pose serious problems.”