By Mohammad Shahanshah Ansari There’s a number that India’s AI cheerleaders love to quote. India is the second-largest AI consumer market in the world. Weekly ChatGPT users are second only to the United States. Number one globally in AI skill…
India is often described as a nation ready for transformation, driven by its youthful population, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial spirit. Yet, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes the global economy, a new and impactful divide is emerging within Indian society.
There is a word we keep using incorrectly. Distracted.
We often claim our phones, social media, and endless feeds distract us. But distraction suggests something accidental, a brief slip in focus. What’s happening to us is neither accidental nor brief. It’s been carefully designed, improved, and spread widely. The better word is trained.
We have been conditioned to act this way.
If you visit an office, check a college WhatsApp group, or watch a teenager do homework, you’ll see a pattern. People aren’t working through problems themselves. Instead, they type questions into chat boxes, wait for answers, and copy the results, letting machines decide what to say or do next.
AI is rapidly changing jobs worldwide. People who do not learn AI skills are more likely to lose their jobs, have little or no pay increases, and face more unfairness, according to recent data and CEO opinions.
She leaned over her laptop, staring at the bright screen, unsure if she would get good news or another letdown.
Another email blinked into her inbox.
Another curt rejection.
There was no explanation or feedback. Just one short, impersonal sentence:
“We regret to inform you…”
Take a look around. There’s the colleague who proudly talks about getting just five hours of sleep. The student who stays up all night before an exam and calls it dedication. The parent who scrolls on their phone after the kids are asleep, because it’s the only time they have for themselves. We’ve slowly created a culture where being tired is seen as working hard, and sleep is something we only do when everything else is done.
In today’s digital world, many children now scroll rather than play outdoors, read, or engage in conversation during their free time. Short-form video platforms have turned entertainment into a continuous stream of brief content, designed to capture and retain attention. Although these platforms may seem harmless, their long-term effects on children’s productivity, attention span, and well-being are cause for concern.
Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the “Godfather of Artificial Intelligence,” says he feels sad and uneasy, not because of what AI can do today, but because of what it may soon become—and how unprepared the world is to deal with it.
Smart machines, or artificial intelligence (AI), are tools that help computers think and learn like people. They make life easier by suggesting movies, driving cars