Dramatic shift in tech and AI pose a threat to humankind: Mohan Das Pai

Educationist and IT industries veteran Mohan Das Pai has cautioned that dramatic shift in technology and artificial intelligence has created disruption in industries and posed a threat to humankind.

Stating that digital monopoly has emerged as a challenge which can even manipulate a user's mind, Pai said the country and the society need to be prepared for future.

The society now needs to "reconfigure' itself to understand and adjust in the technology-driven era, he said, adding India is ten years behind the impact as compared to developed nations.

Apart from disruption in various kinds of industries, the emergence of technology and artificial intelligence besides digital monopoly will have an adverse impact on humankind and the gap between the rich and poor people will increase, with the rich living longer, he said.

Pai, the Chairman of Manipal Global Education, said the country needs to rope in top educational institutions for solving tomorrow's problems as the governments across the country are mostly engaged in solving yesterday's problems.

Inthe next 15 years, we are going to see a rapid change due to the internet. Every industry is going to change", he said

Pai said internet was available everywhere at all times and every human being on the plant will be able to do business, video conferencing, talk to each other and have access to information because "we have created a network society and its impact is felt on every business now.

He said the situation is further going to change rapidly with new innovations and expansion of cloud technology, high-speed computing, quantum computing and proliferation of new business model.

In reply to a question, Pai, a former Infosys director, said that electric vehicles have started creating disruption in auto industry and the situation will drastically chang in the next decade.

Similar disruption is also being faced in other industries as well due to technology shift, Pai said.

The biggest threat to humankind is the rise of digital monopolies", he said adding

by using the data, the mind of a person can be "manipulated".

"Artificial intelligence is expanding and things are automated now, be it life sciences, manufacture industries, banking and financial services and robots are taking over the large part of human being's works which is going to create a problem of employment generation, he added.