AI’s impact on governance in focus at IIIT-Hyd expo

Hyderabad: The R&D Showcase 2024 edition at IIIT Hyderabad (IIIT-H) saw several thought provoking discussions around algorithms and ethics put forward by experts in the inaugural plenary. One of the key issues raised was about “algorithmic decision making” being increasingly seen in governance and its impact on citizenry. One of the case studies discussed was the ‘Samagra Vedika’ scheme launched by the Telangana government for distribution of schemes, wherein algorithms were used to decide eligibility and beneficiaries.“Many algorithm-based schemes are built without the framework or idea of rights and responsibilities of the government. In fact, many of these are not even tested in pilot mode nor are they made with the thought of what should be done for potential glitches,” explained Krishna Ravi Srinivas, adjunct professor at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, and a consultant with Research and Information System in Developing Countries (RIS). He went on to say that the real challenge in translation of constitutional rights into technology is to ensure the technologies don’t infringe on constitutional rights. “Algorithms are being made without keeping in mind the biases. It has become not a footnote or afterthought. Same is the case with transparency,” said Tanveer Hasan A K, executive director of the Centre for Internet and Society, Bengaluru. Director of IIIT-H, professor PJ Narayanan, also cautioned about algorithms and AI systems playing a negative role in the upcoming elections.

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