For unity in Covid fight, called for clanging utensils and ringing bells : PM Modi

Held discussions with the renowned businessman Bill Gates

PM Modi in discussion with famous businessman Bill Gates

New Delhi – Three years ago, the nation was struck by the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this period, both the healthcare and administrative systems faced immense pressure amidst an environment of fear. Individuals across the country were striving to combat the virus in their own capacities. The Union Government, along with all State Governments, implemented various strategies to tackle the crisis. During this challenging period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a televised appeal to citizens, urging them to clang utensils, clap, and light lamps. This call sparked widespread discussion and debate at the time. Now, Modi has provided an explanation for the reasoning behind this initiative.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently engaged in a conversation with renowned businessman Bill Gates. During their discussion, Modi also shared insights on the utilisation of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and management strategies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. When Bill Gates inquired about how India managed the situation during the pandemic, Prime Minister Modi responded with the following insights.

1. Emphasised that the fight against the virus involves everyone

“I emphasised on creating awareness among the people that the fight against the virus involves everyone and it was not virus versus Government. I viewed it as fight of life versus virus from the beginning. Along with that, I started to communicate openly with the people of the nation from day one and personally adhered to all safety protocols to set an example,” Modi explained to Bill Gates.

2. For unity in Covid fight, called for clanging utensils and ringing bells

Modi elaborated on his decision to call for clanging utensils and lighting lamps, stating,” I made clarion calls to clap, clang utensils, light lamps despite some ridicule. It was crucial for me to unite everyone in this fight. Once the intent was set on protecting themselves and those around, it turned into a mass movement.”

3. My mother and I got vaccinated first to build people’s faith in the vaccine

Modi conveyed to Bill Gates that, “In a democracy, force is not the answer. In a democracy, people need to be convinced, educated, and taken along. In democracy education and collaboration drive progress. This helped me a lot in vaccination drive. Nobody stopped me. I faced many problems financially because I wanted to do research to make vaccines. I also built people’s faith by being among the first to get vaccinated along with my 95-year-old mother getting the vaccine publicly. I led by example and gained people’s trust that this (vaccine) could save their lives. Consequently, citizens were more inclined to heed my guidance.”

PM Modi discusses use of AI, gives example of his own deepfake video

Bill Gates engaged in an extensive conversation with Prime Minister Modi, covering a range of topics including India’s advancements in digital technology, challenges faced by India and other countries around the world and artificial intelligence (AI). Within this dialogue, Gates inquired about India’s strategy for addressing the emerging challenges posed by AI. In response, Modi referenced his experience with deepfake videos and provided insights into tackling such challenges. He remarked :

1. … there is risk of misuse of AI

AI has created many challenges in front of us. I have observed that without proper training, there is a significant risk of misuse if such a powerful technology is placed in unskilled hands. I have engaged with leading minds in AI. I suggested that we should start with a clear watermark on AI-generated content to prevent misinformation.

2. Need regulations regarding AI

Deepfake is a major challenge posed by AI. Deepfake content is currently being made in India. I even watched my own deepfake video. If someone misuse my voice and posts it on social media, initially people will believe it, leading to widespread uproar. It is crucial to acknowledge that deepfake is AI-generated and mention its source. These measures are important, especially in the initial days. We need to establish some do’s and don’ts.

3. When a child is born in India, the first thing it say is ‘A aai’

In a lighter vein, while discussing Artificial Intelligence, the Prime Minister said: “AI is very important. In our country, we call mothers ‘aai’ in many States and languages. Sometimes I jokingly say that now when a child is born in India, he says ‘aai’ and ‘AI’.”

4. The use of AI should be helpful in people’s daily life

Addressing challenges of AI also demands our utmost attention. From countering deepfakes to preventing misuse, uniform labelling of AI-generated content is crucial. pic.twitter.com/tgyrwAmnbx

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 29, 2024

Modi informed Gates, “The use of AI should be helpful in people’s daily life. I organised the program Kashi-Tamil Sangamam. Many people from Tamil Nadu had come to Kashi. There I spoke in Hindi but all the people there heard my speech in Tamil through AI.”

5. Should compete with AI technology

During the discussion, Prime Minister suggested competing with AI technology. He expressed, “If I have to write a letter to someone and I don’t draft it [myself] and instead ask ChatGPT to draft the letter for me, that is the wrong way [of using AI]. I should be competing with ChatGPT. I should be fighting with it that you are not doing such and such thing properly. We should be trying to surpass AI.”