CHENNAI: Highlighting the need to democratise artificial intelligence, Hindustan Unilever chairman Nitin Paranjpe on Saturday said Artificial Intelligence technologies must be made accessible to all citizens, including those in rural areas.
Delivering the 44th Palkhivala Memorial Lecture on 'Artificial Intelligence for Aam Aadmi' in the city, he said, "India needed AI tools in local languages so that the benefits reached people in rural areas, especially farmers. Voice over text and local languages over English are vital. Large-scale skill building among people is the immediate requirement from AI."
Referring to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget statement describing AI as a "force multiplier for better governance", Paranjpe said the push to integrate AI across sectors would support the goal of building a Viksit Bharat and expanding nationwide.
He said AI should not remain a private commodity and must be treated as public infrastructure. The focus, he added, should be on key sectors such as agriculture, health and legal aid. Noting the role of major institutions in spreading AI technologies, Paranjpe said they had a responsibility to ensure wider access and sharing of such tools.
Countering fears that Artificial Intelligence would displace jobs, he said the technology could drive employment growth and support micro-entrepreneurs. At the same time, he flagged risks such as digital colonisation, with a handful of companies controlling powerful AI models.
He also warned about the threat posed by AI-driven impersonation, particularly during elections. "These videos spread much faster than the truth," he said. Paranjpe added that despite its promise, AI remained energy-intensive and inefficient compared with the human brain, consuming large amounts of power even for relatively small tasks.