As AI systems rapidly enter public infrastructure—from health and education to transport and citizen services—one question becomes critical:
Are we deploying AI to serve citizens and future generations, or simply to optimize systems for short-term efficiency?
The Challenge:
Much of today’s AI is developed in commercial silos, designed for engagement, profit, and scale. But in the public sector, the goal is different. It’s not just performance—it’s purpose.
Whether we’re talking about AI in social welfare schemes, traffic control, or climate data analysis, the risk is the same: tech built without context, ethics, or inclusivity can widen divides instead of bridging them.
The Opportunity:
Government has a unique role to play—not only as a regulator, but as a mission-driven innovator. We can lead by example in championing AI that is:
- Equitable
- Transparent
- Locally contextualized
- Aligned with sustainable development goals & national development goals.
Let’s move beyond buzzwords and apply a simple but powerful lens when assessing AI systems for public use:
The MCP Framework for Public AI:
- Mission: Is this AI solving a real, people-first problem in our society?
- Context: Does it understand the local culture, language, and socioeconomic realities?
- People: Does it preserve human dignity and promote empowerment—not replace human judgment?
Examples Around Us:
- AI helping Indian farmers make better cropping decisions through localized weather and soil analysis.
- Machine learning tools improving diagnostics in rural PHCs.
- Natural language models supporting multilingual digital governance.
But these use-cases are few and far between. It’s time to scale such innovations with policy support, ethical guardrails, and cross-sector collaboration.
A Call to Action for Policymakers, Bureaucrats, and Public Leaders: We have the mandate—and the responsibility—to ensure India’s AI future is:
- Ethical by design
- Inclusive by intent
- Sustainable by outcome
We must foster public-private partnerships, invest in public data infrastructure, support capacity building, and enable AI startups working on real Bharat problems.