Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the world, reshaping industries, governance, and even social interactions. Its potential is limitless, making it a key driver of the global digital economy. While India has long been a leader in information technology, earning billions in software exports, its progress in AI has been underwhelming. Despite a decades-old engagement with technology, India has yet to emerge as a global player in AI innovation. The situation contrasts sharply with developments elsewhere. After Donald Trump assumed his second term as US President, he announced a $500 billion private sector-driven investment in AI to secure America’s technological dominance. In response, a Chinese startup, DeepSeek, rapidly entered the market, offering services that made it the most downloaded app on Apple’s store. DeepSeek, despite its ideological alignment with the Chinese Communist Party, quickly became a formidable competitor to platforms like ChatGPT.
One of the primary hurdles in AI development is the enormous investment it demands. However, DeepSeek’s success reportedly came at a fraction of the cost incurred by European AI ventures, suggesting that innovation on a budget is possible. This provides hope for emerging economies like India to carve out their space in the AI landscape. India’s slow progress in AI is partly due to the absence of a cohesive national policy. Recognising this gap, the country’s decision to collaborate with France in advancing AI technology is a step in the right direction. Tuesday’s Action Summit on AI, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underscores India’s growing interest in this field. Attended by key global leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the summit highlighted Europe’s plan to invest 200 billion euros in AI development, with 50 billion coming directly from the European Union.
As a strategic partner of France, India aims to ride this wave of technological advancement. Prime Minister Modi rightly noted that AI will impact every aspect of human life, from healthcare and security to governance and society. While he humorously pointed out that AI cannot yet replicate a left-handed person’s handwriting written with the right hand, the pace of advancements suggests that even such feats may soon be possible. Yet, with great technological power come significant risks. The spectre of machines dominating human life looms large, making it crucial for India to develop AI responsibly and ethically. Policymakers must strike a balance between innovation and regulation, ensuring AI serves humanity rather than controlling it. India can no longer afford to be a bystander in the AI revolution. It must harness its technological prowess, foster innovation, and invest strategically to emerge as a global leader in AI. The time to act is now, lest the nation be left behind in the most consequential technological race of our times.
Trump’s Gaza gambit
The fragile truce between Israel and Hamas now hangs by a thread, with Hamas refusing to release Israeli hostages and Israel responding with equal stubbornness. This mutual intransigence threatens to unravel the already tenuous peace agreement, which remains stalled in its first phase. The situation demands diplomatic perseverance, yet US President Donald Trump’s recent provocations have only complicated matters further. Trump, once a real estate magnate with a penchant for grand development projects, appears to view Gaza not as a war-ravaged region in dire need of humanitarian aid but as a lucrative business opportunity. His audacious suggestion that the Palestinian population, two million strong and already enduring unimaginable suffering, should be relocated to Egypt, Syria, or other countries, reveals a disturbing disregard for their rights and dignity.
The plan, if one can call it that, envisions Gaza being cleared of its Palestinian inhabitants and transformed into a Middle Eastern riviera. It is a grotesque fantasy rooted in Trump’s business instincts rather than any understanding of international law, justice, or human decency. The United States has no legitimate claim to Gaza, and Trump’s proposal has predictably failed to garner support from any nation, even among Israel’s closest allies. Some elements of Israel’s extreme right have disturbingly echoed Trump’s vision, invoking selective biblical references to justify the potential depopulation of Gaza. This rhetoric only inflames an already volatile situation, undermining any efforts toward a peaceful resolution. Trump’s warning that he would wreak havoc if Hamas fails to release hostages by Saturday is equally alarming. He has provided no clarity on what such a threat entails. Would the US deploy forces directly into Gaza? Or, more chillingly, would he consider the use of weapons of mass destruction? The world watches with a mix of fear and bewilderment as Trump’s inflammatory statements escalate tensions further.
It is imperative for the international community to denounce Trump’s reckless rhetoric and real estate-driven ambitions. The silence of global institutions, particularly the United Nations, is deafening. Where is the concerted international effort to rein in a leader whose words continue to sow chaos in an already embattled region? What Gaza needs now is not bulldozers but a comprehensive peace process grounded in justice and mutual respect. The path forward lies in diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and a commitment to rebuilding lives, not in grandiose fantasies of property development. The world must wake up and act decisively to prevent Gaza from becoming the latest victim of Trump’s misguided ambitions. The stakes are too high for silence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tell Trump when they meet in Washington that he has no moral right to claim Gaza, let alone displace the Palestinians from there.
