Business News Tech AI India must ensure AI benefits reach every citizen, prevent digital divide from widening: Scindia
India must ensure AI benefits reach every citizen, prevent digital divide from widening: Scindia
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stressed the critical need for responsible AI growth to ensure equitable access for everyone. He highlighted the staggering 2.2 billion individuals still lacking internet access, warning of a possible AI gap in the future. India's initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission focus on affordable tech and improving digital infrastructure, while the AI for Good Lab aims to boost skills and readiness, prioritizing public safety.
India must ensure that the digital divide does not become an Artificial Intelligence (AI) divide, with technology serving as an instrument of inclusion and improving access to essential services, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday. Addressing the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 and inaugurating the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) AI for Good Lab workshop, Scindia said the success of AI would depend on its ability to deliver tangible benefits to citizens rather than technological sophistication alone. "The real test is whether it helps a farmer make a better decision, it enables a doctor to diagnose faster, it allows a teacher to reach a child more effectively," he said.
2 billion people worldwide remained offline, warning against allowing the digital divide of the past two decades to become the AI divide of the next two decades. He said India's approach to AI was built on developing essential capabilities as shared infrastructure, enabling wider access to computing resources, datasets, models and connectivity.
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