Mind our business -Technology Glitch and Modern Cities

 

    The artificial intelligence are believed to have threatened the human life process, as warned by the people who created it during last lock down period between 2019 to 2022 to open new world of search and answer the questions concerning the data already available on the web space. Google knows all and CHAT tools delivers it at your door steps (alas desktop word/excel or ppt). The life of the students struggling to find the answers to the questions so rudimental to getting decent passing marks are hooked to new boy in the town. The teachers and tutors frown at them citing plagiarism, but how teaching had been original, we all have referred books and guides to get our answers to score some marks. 

"You have the control of power switch, use your wisdom!"

    The cities, life moves on to the delivery glitches due to poor addresses and google sans the responsibility across the globe. The AI steps in to correct the algorithm to guide our delivery agents to right place. Some may look at the intrusion of the privacy and know all threatening technology. However, we all must look into the positives of technology and try to find the best way use to ease our space and settlement management. Cities and regions are marred with ills of toxic chemicals, plastics, domestic wastes etc polluting our rivers, ponds and other water bodies. Cleaning them or monitoring had been a long headache to administrators, while expecting the technologies to monitor, response and alert the authorities on time. 

There is obvious opposition to technologies in view of lowering down of human errors or inefficiencies. There is absolute concern by the designers and service providers who on the basis of their secret knowledge ( which is no more true) where with technology its about know more. The threat of AI is multifaceted with humans like earlier tech evolution credited with taking more human jobs. But the earlier concerns were thrown out when IT and tech industry created a highly effective job profile for the youth learning to become computer buff within a time span of decade. The evolution of automation, robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence would take over operations no doubt, but it would also help humans to relive and connect with nature. 

    Unfortunately, inefficient systems of production and consumption, business of information walls and block knowledge for the disadvantageous groups have created corrupt and violent societies. We all hope some where the new tech would be concern with the ill effects and must not look down upon as somebody taking their biological role as humans. The aggression, love and compassion of humans would be transferred into the automation more smarter way down the line however, there would be enough opportunist to take it down.

    The governments would be regulating the automation to a large extent for the security purposes, but there would always be counter intelligence to beat one another. The functional system would be threatened by the new tech and operations of currencies (digital or virtual), transections and payment systems. The low tech nations with deliberate disconnect or forced offline societies would be saved from the tech glitch and someone may find it attractive to stay away from the connected societies. Most of the rich and famous would like to remain anonymous in the web world and enjoy the freedoms. The citizens in the urban areas might want the web world to stop exploring the gaze beyond the working hours and early mornings. The laws to manage or control the tech devices would be setup and operated by the AI tools only with smart way would be to save your privacy. 

    Cities of tomorrow may be technology friendly but you would still know the traffic jams, walking around in rains without your tech tools and swim around with flow of wind and water. The blossom of the flowers, morning sunshine and evening mood would still set the affairs of the world into an orderly disorder. 

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Thinking, Doing and Sharing - Key to 4IR and Geospatial Industry

Enabling geospatial policy for a sustainable ecosystem needs the government and industry to working together in a rapidly changing and evolving technology landscape. The digital world is trying to capture everything that happens somewhere, using the data collection systems, processing, representing and disseminating the information.  These are desirable systems now fed with data which have now used sporadically with little less trust worthiness. The speed of data collection, dynamic platforms and varied user interfaces leaves little chance to verify its accuracy. The multitude of the data sources may be government or private or individuals is lagging behind in ensuring its authenticity and more used for its trust. 

The spatial content through cloud and open sources in data have led to large volumes of unprocessed or under processed information. The concept of truthing or validation needs more data repository for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) to be able to utilize the artificial intelligence or machine learning. The logical reasoning when fed with incorrect data can lead to disastrous or faulty decision making in the automated world. The human nature to make irrational decisions and system over ride limitations of systems would lead to chaotic outcomes. 

Whether commonly enabled, free or open technology would exist due to its cost effectiveness, or lead to opening scope for startups? The future societies might need to relieve intellectual properties (IP) for the development of technologies needed for societies growth. The establishment of society-industry linkages in spatial applications is needed with user interfaces (UI) open to public access. The innovators or thinkers for future tech world would carry responsibility of leveraging on open source, open data and open access to connect all. The organizations would attempt to integrate the sustainable development goals (SDG) more with data capturing and analytical systems. 

The digital ecosystem for performing the geospatial functions in analysis particularly in content and services would lead to diverse ecosystem. The tech giants dealing with innovation functions would need support of policy, market and technology support to fulfill the 4IR goals of nations. Whether the current education system supports the shifting technology through multi-disciplinary approach? Capacity building for the young tech , science and geospatial graduates is needed to understand the integration of data science with process engineering. The problem solving approach of the social sciences needed to update the community about the issues of people, resources and economy which needs technological interventions.

The physical asset tabulations, changing natural order and long lasting impacts on the climate and environments needs significant transformation studied across the continents. The pressure of population (both increasing  or diminishing), resource exploitation and automation may enhance the vulnerability of nature and human. Startup innovation support systems or cooperation framework would be needed not only at the transnational level but also at the regional and local levels. The data should now also include not only the data but specifically spatial data for its accuracy and temporal demands. The static and dynamic data content might to lead to stagnation or intelligent systems. The stakeholders, i.e., government, industry and academia needs more collaborations than ever to overcome the speed of project implementation. 

India Election Effects: Time to change fundamentals

The parliamentary democracy reached a turn around in India in 2019 when those who fought for independence from the British rule, brought change in the socio-economic status of the nation are not in power. Rather hope for their revival seems very weak. India must move from the basics of food, cloth and shelter to technology, innovation and urbanisation. The people of India desire to have now prestige, power and money to bring revolutionary participation in the world economy and social order. The people now want to be removed from the shadow of government to a world full of opportunity. The vision for them is for a strong nation where cultural divisions and social identity must be removed with little concern about equality. The competitive social order is now caught in class divide more when economic growth outshines the social status. The new economy (led by market) has also arranged the citizens' expectations beyond the basic concerns about poverty. The governments over the periods have targetted the poor through hordes of programs resulting in massive removal of poverty leading to starvation. There is inequality which has increased and distribution of wealth is not as would have been desired by socialists. But in a liberal and secular nation, there now exists the acceptance of majority stake and respect for minority rights. 

Innovation in the technology sector should lead to enhanced participation of young citizens to claim their space in a highly competitive market. There is rising services sector and demand for the employment over the periods diminished however, there is a disparity in the potential for creating jobs various parts of the nation. The man-days may be available to some states in India whereas the opportunity for regular employment diminishes. The new governments should be empowered enough to focus on the opportunities for the youth in sectors outside the governments. There is a positive sign when youth has accepted the fact that governments are no more responsible for employment. It is now there own responsibilities to skill themselves to be worthy of economic earnings. The people themselves must pull others out of joblessness or poverty. The community networks would be strengthened to provide enough opportunities. 

The higher education seems to have reached its pinnacle and with job markets not showing opportunities, the young talents must spend more time on making their skills show some good results. The entrepreneurship must come out from the established families to those who can make a difference. The service sectors need support from higher education, though the highest number of educated youth need to contribute towards making their voice heard through participating in meaningful outcomes. There is a need to take India forward to be competitive.

The cultural recognition of the largest Hindu population is at stake in the multi-cultural world. It seems now there is identity requirement for the community and assertation of culture would bring a fundamental change in our democratic systems. The leadership needs to subsume the cultural dominance by removing the privileges of minorities such as in J&K state to be a more inclusive part of the nation. Nevertheless, there is a need to have a balanced approach in dealing with minorities, while claiming back the cultural symbols through constitutional mandate in the national parliament. There is doubt in fulfilling these desires due to institutions like our courts or justice system giving enough opportunities for such a move by the majority governments. There is dominance now of the majority community in India, not to take away the rights of minorities but giving justice to there own actions. 

The social divisions in India must also go with fewer chances of the reservation to survive these decades. The complexities of identities and historical justice may not prevail in the current century. More disturbance of the social order may not be due to the community where people would be born but how they would be treated by society. The demand for the community for social equality must be met with the justice system. The people might not tolerate such unjustified social behaviour when technology and social relations have moved beyond their identities. The fundamentals of constitutions must identify the rights of citizens more than equal and move towards gender justice and social equality leading to new social order. 

The traditional communities living in hard geographical areas need protection from cultural and economic onslaught. The tribals in India need change when mainstreaming of these communities are almost complete when very few could protect there tradition and culture. The cultural missions in these areas must stop and tribals must be allowed to take there own decisions through government and institutional support. The constitution protection must move towards ecological protection along with communities not only accepting their rights but abstain from removing them from there traditional homes. 

(Photo Courtesy: Author, 2017_18)

Cusp of Democracy, accepting development and the New Government

Elections is nearing to end in the heat of 2019 in India for the national government. Some say this is to save the democracy and others for the security of Nation under threat from terror. The response of the people is neither hysterical nor its indifference. There is a spate of reasoning given to politically finish the erstwhile ruling party but more the suppression it resulted in the expansion of thoughts. The personal aura of the current ruling party faces a crisis for putting its mask over the face of its candidate. The overselling of ideas, high pitch debates and declaration of nationalism has been a political drama guided both by the leader and his media supporters. A successful pitch stays straight and stressed on its main plank of development but a deviation to suit the political outcome is showing discomfort and lack of confidence of the ruling party.

There is a rise of leaders in hordes in response to the singular leader of a ruling party. The face of person so loved or hated is the point of an axis in India politics over the last five years. No matter the ideas of development continued from the government kudos to the people who engaged themselves in providing their ideas. The schemes of success or rather a failure did not enchant the voters for long. India slips back to traditional social dynamism linking with political outcomes. The ignorance of voters now depends on the pitch of media which could never be abstained for being polarised. The expense of the election is high for the government and rather many folds to the parties who were fighting for it. The cost of India democracy has increased but the focus of the development still remain fixed with farmers, youth, poverty and employment. The more the deviation more the dissatisfaction of the electorate. The threat to democracy is from the people who diverted the debates and ready to get away with it by raising and playing the emotional issues.

To an extent, the development of rural India cannot be negated with glittering lights in the cities. The hinterland of India now demands attention and basics of infrastructure might be the deciding factor in this election. The relations with Pakistan may not improve as the majority has won election and minorities in the country has been ignored to showcase political upmanship. There is a possibility of fractured mandate this time to adopt a corrective path without disturbing the essence of Indian constitution. The disturbance at the institutional structure is surprising when central agencies, defence forces, judiciary, planning, banking and commerce feel fate depends on government in power. They are going to lose anyway by following and ignoring someone destined to be powerful.

The point of uncertainty when elections results are yet to declare, makes people feel too long for wanting to go ahead. The country holds breadth after a long pause, last time it happened during 1997-99. The change in the situation would also mean omission or negation of lead whereas efforts lost but continuity would also mean finishing the institution to establish a new wave of governance. There is a possibility of both, yet new government in India would be exciting for all to forecast the arrival of a competitor who needs to face bullying by the US and China.

There are hope and despair in accepting the new government in the nation, not making a life for social media writers easier. A series of humour would continue with new government prank making somebody's nights sleepless. The hunch by industrialists and investors would drive the mood of the nation, however, the spirited entrepreneurship would find its way in to journey to the future. We are into the cusp of democracy when the maturity of the nation is to be achieved by the year 2022. India@75 would be again interesting for the world for the learning it is going to offer a nation. Who so ever may come in power must make nation shine with the hopes for generations to come. Be a part of global society and enhance the partnership to sustain our needs and vision for the future.