Noor UL Shahbaz
Technology has overshadowed all the Human activities, development and is a concern where we have a human population of over more than 8 Billion. The regulation of technological advancements is need of the time and more importantly the Ethico-Legal Dimensions of it so that it will not completely sideline/bypass the human force.
Humans possess unique qualities that make them distinct from technology. Creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence are some of the inherent human traits that technology has not been able to replicate fully. Human connection, compassion, and understanding are crucial for building relationships, fostering social cohesion, and addressing complex societal issues. But the debate between humans and technology is a complex and multifaceted topic that has been discussed and debated from various perspectives. Technology has transformed the world in countless positive ways, improving communication, efficiency, productivity, and quality of life. It has enabled breakthroughs in medicine, transportation, communication, and education, among many other fields. Technology has the potential to solve some of the biggest challenges humanity faces, such as climate change and the global health crisis. Humans are biological beings, while technology is artificial and created by humans. When we look into the part of capabilities, Humans have emotions, consciousness, creativity, and the ability to adapt and learn in complex ways. Technology, on the other hand, operates based on programmed instructions and algorithms, often lacking emotions and consciousness.
No doubt, today there are great inventions taking place when it comes to technology. It is appreciable. But have you ever wondered how is this technology affecting humans or we can say humanity? I agree that technology is making work simpler but at the same time, we cannot disagree that it is worsening humanity too. If there are good inventions taking place, then some humans are leaving their humanity with the use of technology. The number of online threats, online frauds, social media abusing that is increasing day by day itself is an example of how adversely it is affecting us. We can say that the companies, industries manufacturing these technologies are serving a tension between humans versus technology. Automated assembly lines and robotics have long had a labor displacement effect, what is new is how technologies like artificial intelligence and its powerful machine learning subset are beginning to transform the socio-economic and ethical character of the society.
Artificial intelligence, robotics and algorithms are increasingly being used in a wide range of industries, from healthcare to finance. But it is undeniable that artificial intelligence raises many ethical questions! Some of the legal concerns that have been raised include issues around data privacy, liability and safety. Currently, there is no specific legislation in place governing the use of artificial intelligence, robotics or algorithms. However, these technologies are subject to the same laws and regulations as any other technology. This means that they must comply with general laws such as those relating to data protection, intellectual property and privacy. The adoption and penetration of Artificial Intelligence in our lives today does not necessitate any more enunciation or illustration. While the technology is still considered to be in its infancy by many, so profound has been its presence that we do not comprehend our reliance on it unless it is specifically pointed out. From Siri, Alexa to Amazon and Netflix, there is hardly any sector that has remained untouched by Artificial Intelligence.
Thus, the adoption of artificial intelligence is not the challenge but its ‘regulation’ is a slippery slope., which leads us to questions such as whether we need to regulate artificial intelligence at all. If yes, do we need a separate regulatory framework or are the existing laws enough to regulate artificial intelligence technology. It is clear that we need to be thoughtful about how we use these technologies, and that includes taking into account the legal and ethical implications of their use.
Global Academy of Law-Tech Education and Research (GALTER) an Internationally acclaimed and purely an Academic Organisation is working from the last couple of years in this field and experts, academicians, judges, law scholars are part of it (having more than one hundred members) and MoU with around 12 Universities (both Indian and foreign) has been signed. The Founder Director of this Organisation Prof. (Dr) M. K Bhandari had a fruitful two-day visit to University of Kashmir, Srinagar and Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal and Prof. (Dr) Muhammad Hussain (Head and Dean School of Law) joined as a Honorary Member of this organisation, many more reputed academicians have consented to be a part. We are expecting that the Union government and state governments will look into this matter, take lead from the experts and organisations working in this field, then prioritise the legislative framework for regulation of the AI and other allied technologies. Further there is a considerable need to introduce AI and other Data science education at various levels of the educational system in India, this can be done by introducing a syllabus in the law, technology and engineering courses.
Noor UL Shahbaz is a Lecturer in Law and former Acting Principal at Sopore Law College, GALTER Member, M.A LL.M GOLD MEDALIST
