Editorial 1 : Every drop counts
Introduction: A report published, recently, by United Nations University has warned that 27 of the 31 aquifers in the country are depleting faster than they can be replenished.
More about report
- Titled "Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023" and published by the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), the report highlights that the world is approaching six environmental tipping points: accelerating extinctions, groundwater depletion, mountain glacier melting, space debris, unbearable heat, and an uninsurable future.
- Environmental tipping points are critical thresholds in the Earth's systems, beyond which abrupt and often irreversible changes occur, leading to profound and sometimes catastrophic shifts in ecosystems, climate patterns, and the overall environment.
Various committees warning on groundwater use in India
- In 2016, the Mihir Shah Committee argued that there is little “understanding of river systems or their interconnections with the health of catchment areas or groundwater”.
- Several other reports, including those commissioned by the Niti Aayog and the Central Water Commission, have underlined the poor state of the country’s aquifers.
Government’s actions on groundwater
- Union Jal Shakti Ministry to initiate the Atal Bhujal Yojana in 78 water-stressed districts.
- The programme, which commenced in 2020, aims to bring about behavioural changes at the community level in seven states. (Ministry data does show that groundwater extraction for irrigation, domestic and industrial uses came down by about 6 billion cubic metres in 2022 from 2020).
- The Centre has been trying to promote less thirsty crops like millet and the use of efficient watering techniques.
Reasons for groundwaters crisis in India
- India pumps up the most groundwater globally, more than China and the US combined. (more than 70% of water used comes from groundwater as per Central Ground Water Board).
- The emphasis was on the use of tubewells and borewells for agriculture.
- Lack of institutional innovation in water use. (Mihir Shah Committee)
- Power subsidies are promoting more groundwater extractions. (78 per cent of the wells in the state are overexploited as per the UN report).
- Relation between groundwater extraction and the climate crisis.
- The problem could become acute in the country’s southwest, where aquifers of hard rock already impose limits on recharging.
- Hotter temperatures could leave less moisture to soak in the soil and replenish groundwater sources.
Conclusion: The use of technologies that allow people to monitor the water available in their borewells could be the first step to nudge them to manage aquifers responsibly. These could be the catalysts for bringing about behavioral changes.
Editorial 2 : Where Alan Turing started it
Introduction: The London summit this week on the safe use of Artificial Intelligence could be an important first step towards the global governance of a technology that offers much promise and unprecedented danger.
Geo-political reasons for London Summit on AI summit
- Britain wants to shore up its global leadership position on AI.
- to make Britain “not just the intellectual home, but the geographical home of global AI safety regulation”.
- to make Britain a “technology superpower”.
Reason for choosing London as the location
- In convening the summit at Bletchley Park, Sunak is also reminding the world of AI’s origins in Britain.
- It was at Bletchley Park that early research on AI was pioneered by Alan Turing, who is widely considered as the “father of AI”.
- Turing and his team of mathematicians had helped crack “Enigma”, a German code during World War II, giving the Allies a huge advantage in their military operations.
More summits/actions on AI
- US President Joe Biden issued an executive order to ensure that “America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI)”.
- It establishes “new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world, and more.”
- The EU, meanwhile, is discussing the promulgation of what could be the world’s first comprehensive framework for regulation.
- It will define rules to govern the development and use of AI across the European Union.
- It will involve the setting up of a European Board for Artificial Intelligence to audit and administer the new rules.
- China outlined a broad set of principles for international cooperation and global governance of AI.
- Beijing called for an increase in the “voice of developing countries in global AI governance, and ensure equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal rules for all countries in AI development and governance.”
- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gueterres establish an advisory body to examine the risks, opportunities and international governance of AI.
- He believes AI “could supercharge climate action and the efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals” that the world has set for itself.
Agenda of London summit on AI
- Its essence is to ensure the safe use of AI technologies to facilitate their widespread beneficial use.
- A discussion paper released by the British government last week talked of some of those dangers from AI–ranging from the spread of disinformation to the diffusion of knowledge to assemble chemical and biological weapons.
Frontier AI and its challenges
- Frontier AI is highly capable general-purpose AI models that can perform a wide variety of tasks and match or exceed the capabilities present in today's most advanced models.
- One of the issues that the London summit is discussing is the establishment of an international register of frontier AI models that will allow governments to assess the risks involved. This is unlikely to pass muster with private companies.
- That brings us to one of the core challenges of regulating AI. In the past, frontier technology development, in nuclear and space, was led by governments. Today, AI development outside China is with large digital corporations.
Conclusion: Whether it comes up with specific answers or not, the London Summit is likely to lay out some important markers for the unfolding global discourse on AI regulation. India, which played a key role in the 20th century discussions on regulating advanced technologies, will have to find its own voice on AI governance.