Jammu, Jul 15: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said Artificial Intelligence has fundamentally reshaped the job market, defining the economic landscape of our era, and that AI represents our best path forward—not as a replacement for human potential, but as a force multiplier.
The LG delivered the keynote address on “AI: Effects and Side Effects” at the Dr Suresh Awasthi Memorial Lecture Series organised by Dr Suresh Awasthi Smriti Nyas in Varanasi to observe his 20th Punya Smriti Diwas. He paid heartfelt tribute to Dr Awasthi, describing him as a remarkable personality who embodied knowledge and humility, a distinguished scholar, and a visionary who saw political science as a powerful instrument for shaping society and strengthening the nation.
The Lieutenant Governor said that AI has changed the way we educate and hire the workforce and has fundamentally reshaped the job market. He noted that from the invention of the wheel to the internet, each technological revolution changed the world, and today we stand on the threshold of a similar new era where AI has already reached our homes, schools, hospitals, industries, farms, and government systems.
“Even in far-flung villages, AI is changing lives. A local health worker can now run medical checkups, farmers get instant weather and crop advice, and students get top-quality lessons in their own language,” he said.
Sinha said that a mature society should use modern technology like AI with sensitivity and keep future requirements in mind. He added that India has for centuries been the bearer of a shared heritage of knowledge, innovation, and humanity, and our country taught the world that science and ethics are not opposites but complements.
“When AI brings new opportunities before us, our duty is not only to adopt it but also to guide it in the right direction. I firmly believe that when technology is used for human welfare, it democratises opportunity. It brings possibilities to people who were previously deprived of them. That is why we should welcome this change,” he said.
The LG said that history reminds us that every great leap forward brings a moment of friction, and we cannot turn back the clock on Artificial Intelligence. “AI represents our best path forward, not as a replacement for human potential, but as a force multiplier. By absorbing the friction of routine and repetitive tasks, AI would elevate our uniquely human strengths. The future belongs to a symbiotic partnership where technology handles the mechanics, allowing the human workforce to focus on what truly matters,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also called upon the young generation to grab the opportunity today and focus on problem-solving and critical thinking with a scientific temper, noting that the real challenge today is not about lack of opportunity but the speed of change, making rapid reskilling our most urgent duty.
“We should also be prepared to deal with challenges of AI-generated deepfakes, which blur the line between fact and fiction. Today, we also face an even deeper crisis, which is the erosion of truth. For innovation to succeed, it must walk hand-in-hand with public trust. Citizens have a fundamental right to know where their information comes from. Today, in an AI-dominated era, transparency is a necessity,” he said.
The lecture series was attended by Padma Bhushan Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President, IGNCA; University of Jammu Vice Chancellor Prof Umesh Rai; members of Dr. Suresh Awasthi Smriti Nyas; distinguished speakers; academicians; eminent literary personalities; and students through virtual mode.
