The AI Hype: Separating Fact from Fiction

Debunking the Myth of AI as a Universal Solution

THESE DAYS, the global rage and infatuation revolve around AI (Artificial Intelligence). Many people claim it is a revolution, rhapsodizing and waxing lyrical about it as if all the world’s problems can now be solved with its aid and application.

My opinion is that while AI is helpful in some areas (e.g., the medical field), its depiction as a revolution and a panacea for all our problems is a gross exaggeration. It cannot solve, or even make a dent in, the real issues plaguing much of the world, particularly underdeveloped countries like India.

The fundamental problems of underdeveloped countries—i.e., most of Asia (except China and Japan), Africa, and Latin America—comprising about 70% of the world’s population, as well as pockets within developed nations, are socio-economic in nature. These include massive poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, soaring prices of essential commodities like food, fuel, and medicines, and a lack of proper healthcare, quality education, and housing for the masses.

How can AI solve these problems? Does it have a magic wand? I highly doubt it.

To divert people’s attention from these real issues, rulers often resort to various tactics. For instance, Roman emperors used to say, “If you cannot give the people bread, give them circuses (or gladiator contests).”

Some form of distraction is always required to keep people from rebelling against their miserable plight. Take, for example, the MeToo movement, which was once a fashionable trend.

I am not saying AI is useless. It can indeed be beneficial, particularly in the medical field. However, how many people in underdeveloped countries can afford to visit a proper hospital or consult a qualified doctor where AI can be applied? The vast majority rely on quacks.

AI may be helpful in other fields as well, but it has two major drawbacks:

It is incorrect to claim that AI can perform all the functions of the human mind. The human brain possesses something that even the best, latest, and fastest supercomputer can never have—creativity. The groundbreaking discoveries of Newton, Darwin, Marx, Einstein, and Rutherford could not have been made by AI. Creativity is essential to solving the fundamental socio-economic problems mentioned above.

AI will not provide correct answers if those answers go against the interests of the ruling elite. For instance, if we ask how poverty, unemployment, hunger, malnutrition, lack of proper healthcare, and poor education can be eradicated in underdeveloped countries, AI will not provide the correct answer—namely, that only a powerful people’s struggle and revolution can bring about real change.

What Does AI Actually Do?

The nature of AI’s work is explained in the these articles.

As these articles reveal, AI functions like a supercomputer or an advanced robot. But who creates these supercomputers and robots? Certainly not another super-supercomputer or super-super robot. It takes a human being—not a machine—to create them.

It is often said that AI and robots will take over manufacturing jobs. But will such automation not lead to massive unemployment?

A Counterargument and My Response

Someone messaged me:

“AI isn’t a magic fix for everything, but dismissing its potential is short-sighted. It’s already making a difference—helping doctors diagnose diseases faster, giving students in remote areas access to quality education, boosting crop yields to fight malnutrition, and improving productivity across industries, creating new opportunities. Sure, AI alone won’t erase poverty or unemployment overnight, but as technology advances, its impact will only grow.”

To which I responded:

You say AI helps doctors diagnose diseases faster. But how many people in underdeveloped countries like India can afford to see a doctor? While some good hospitals exist, they are exorbitantly expensive. Most poor people rely on quacks. Quackery has increased exponentially in India.

You claim AI will give students in remote areas access to quality education. But even if this happens (which is highly unlikely), what will these students do with their education when there are no jobs available?

Every year, 12 million young people enter India’s job market, yet fewer than half a million jobs are created in the organized sector. The remaining 11.5 million end up as hawkers, street vendors, stringers, bouncers, beggars, criminals, or suicides—while many young women are forced into prostitution.

You say AI will boost crop yields. But what good is increased crop production when farmers are not receiving remunerative prices for their produce?

The costs of fertilizers, seeds, insecticides, electricity, and other inputs have skyrocketed, making farming unviable. This has resulted in over 400,000 farmer suicides.

You mention increasing industrial productivity with AI. But what is the point of higher productivity if the goods produced cannot be sold due to economic recession?

While AI will certainly bring some benefits, it will primarily serve to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few tech oligarchs. It is time to disillusion people about the highly exaggerated claims surrounding AI and dispel the fantasies and delusions being propagated about it.

Also Read: UNSOCIAL MEDIA!

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