Following an anti-subsidies investigation, the European Union threatened on Wednesday ( Jun 12 ) to impose additional tariffs of up to 38 % starting next month on Chinese electric car imports, which could lead to a trade war. By launching the investigation last year in a bid to protect WesternContinue Reading
For years, Indonesia’s power landscape has been dominated by fuel, a fossil fuel that now accounts for a staggering 60 % of the nation’s electricity mixture. However, a change is on the sky, driven by the need to address climate change and the enormous potential of solar energy in the largest archipelagogue in the world. In November 2022, the Just Energy Transition Partnership ( JETP ) was launched at the G20 Leaders ‘ Summit in Bali, mobilizing an initial US$ 20 billion in public and private financing to decarbonize Indonesia’s energy sector. The nation has revised its ambitious goals to achieve 19 % to 21 % of renewable energy by 2030, a significant improvement over its current dependency on fossil fuels.
One of the main problems is the distant landscape of Indonesia’s off- network areas, with about 40 % scattered across islands beyond Java. It’s unlikely that the national grid will soon achieve most of these locations, which will put pressure on infrastructure development and highlight the need to harness the region’s vast renewable resources.  ,
The promise of renewable energy, a nearly untapped resource in Indonesia, is at the center of this move. The country is a part of a region with staggering technical potential of 17 gigawatts of solar energy, more than 20 occasions the power needed to meet the net-zero emissions destination in 2050, despite having less than 1 % of its power from solar.
” The necessity to do something about culture shift is distinct, mainly in Southeast Asia”, says Helen Wong, Managing Partner at AC Ventures. Part of the issue, in particular, is that there has generally been an overinvestment in fuel, which has resulted in a glut of cheap electricity, “looking at Indonesia.”
Overcoming obstacles
Nevertheless, realizing Indonesia’s renewable electricity potential is not without its problems. Solar energy is still battling it out with subsidies that are still greatly favored by fuel, which is a distorted regulatory framework toward fossil fuels. Also, the state- owned utility company PLN, which manages the grid and serves as the sole off- taker for renewable energy, has been afraid to raise its purchases from renewable sources.
The early retirement of Indonesia’s coal plants, which account for a staggering 60 % of the local energy mix, is a crucial component of the JETP plan. An aggressive ramp-up in renewable investments is required to bridge the unbridled production gap, with a target generation of 36 gigawatts from solar photovoltaics alone, a sevenfold increase from investments in 2018 and 2021.
“PLN is not too keen to actually purchase more solar energy”, explains Wong. ” The grid needs to be upgraded to accommodate more sporadic sources of energy, such as solar, which will require significant investments.”
Despite these obstacles, investors like AC Ventures see immense potential in Indonesia’s solar energy market. Wong notes that the firm often encounters new ventures in three distinct categories: utility- scale projects, which require substantial capital expenditure, commercial and industrial subsectors, where companies can build or lease on- site renewable power plants for self- consumption, and residential projects, which are currently harder to scale.
Commercial and industrial space, according to Wong, is the most promising subsector in Indonesia’s solar energy market right now. Xurya, AC Ventures ‘ portfolio company and the largest player in this sector, is currently providing clean power to multinational corporations with a capacity of around 200 megawatts.
AC Ventures emphasizes important metric when evaluating solar energy projects, such as the internal rate of return and payback periods. Wong points out that subsidies can be beneficial, but that the decline in solar energy costs have resulted in less need for market-different subsidies.
Backing the winners
AC Ventures is optimistic about the potential for creative financing strategies to boost the solar energy sector, such as blended financing models with guarantees from organizations like the World Bank. The company wants to support the companies that succeed in this field by utilizing cutting-edge tools like solar yield optimization technology, trackers, and software to assess rooftop suitability.
” Increased grid connectivity between the nation’s main islands, likely achievable by 2028 at the earliest, is crucial for accelerating broad solar implementation across Indonesia”, Wong notes, emphasizing the over US$ 300 billion needed for renewable energy distribution and transmission upgrades.
We at ACV are eager to support the companies that succeed in this field and contribute to Southeast Asia’s looming energy transition as a whole as investors.
The road ahead
Indonesia’s enormous solar energy potential is an increasingly compelling solution as the country struggles to deal with the urgent need to address climate change and reduce its dependence on coal. With the right investments, regulatory support, and grid upgrades, solar energy could play a pivotal role in Indonesia’s energy transition, helping the country achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets.
For climate investors like AC Ventures, this transition is both a chance to promote sustainable change and a promising investment landscape with potential. By backing the winners in Indonesia’s solar energy market, firms like AC Ventures are positioning themselves at the forefront of a revolution, one that could unlock a brighter, more sustainable future for the nation and the region.
MKS Instruments, Inc, a Massachusetts, US- based NASDAQ listed company of technologies announced that it is set to create a stock in Penang, Malaysia to help chip fabrication equipment production in the region and worldwide. Its first plant in Asia, the plan is to construct the new facility in three phases, with groundbreaking expected to commence in early 2025 said the company which had revenue of US$ 3.62 billion ( RM17.1 billion ) in 2023. No additional information about the purchase devotion was disclosed.
Dr. John T. C. Lee, President and CEO of MKS, stated that” MKS has a happy history of inventions and discoveries that have shaped the evolution of the key industries we serve.” ” Penang has a strong semiconductor habitat thanks to its close proximity to our customers and suppliers and strong technology infrastructure. As we strive to continue to be a leader in a wide range of semiconductor production programs, our company’s expansion into Malaysia represents a significant step.
The firm, which has three divisions-  , Vacuum Solutions,  , Photonics Solutions , and , Materials Solutions – applies its science and engineering capabilities to produce instruments, subsystems, systems, operation command solutions and specialist chemicals technologies that improve process performance and optimise productivity for customers.  ,
Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, said,” Aligning with Penang’s passion to move up the international semiconductor value chain, MKS Instruments unlocks opportunities in transistor production, which creates more high- worth job opportunities for the native workforce. I’m pleased that MKS Instruments chose to relocate to Penang, the Silicon Valley of the East, and I look forward to seeing how successful the business is there.
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority ( MIDA ), which is led by Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim, is the country’s growing reputation as a top destination for investments in advanced technology, with the construction of a new facility in Malaysia. This new facility highlights Malaysia’s attractiveness as a strategic hub for innovation and manufacturing, reflecting the company’s confidence in our highly skilled workforce and favourable business environment”.
He added that Malaysia’s rich pool of talent and resources, made it an ideal location for high- tech companies like MKS Instruments to expand their operations. According to MIDA, MKS’ activities will significantly improve Malaysia’s ability to manufacture goods, in line with the New Industrial Master Plan ( NIMP ) 2030, to create a stronger future for Malaysia’s advanced manufacturing sector.
We invite other industry leaders to choose Malaysia as their preferred investment destination and look forward to a fruitful collaboration. Together, we will drive mutual growth and further enhance Malaysia’s rapidly expanding high- tech ecosystem”, said Sikh Shamsul.
9 days ago
By Michelle Roberts, Digital health editor
AFPThe Chinese scientist who pioneered the development of antidepressants, the life-saving medication used by millions, has passed away at the age of 90.
Akira Endo’s key job has been likened to the discovery of penicillin.
The scientist is said to have been inspired by Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, prompting him to examine casting, or mushrooms, in his quest to find new drugs.
The second cholesterol-lowering compound that could lower the risk of heart disease and stroke was discovered in 1973 by Prof. Endo.
Paying gift, Prof Bryan Williams, key scientific and medical official at the British Heart Foundation, described the doctor as” a remarkable scientist”.
He claimed that” they have totally transformed the prevention of heart disease and stroke” and that” they really were the predecessor to the development of statins drugs.”
” In the last few years, there have n’t been many medical treatments that have had such dramatic an impact,” said one doctor.
However, his discovery did never procure the doctor a Nobel prize like Dr. Fleming did.
Surprisingly, the man who discovered a way to treat the problem of cholesterol and gave a remedy that helped and saved the lives of many, many millions of people never received the prize, said Prof. Williams.
” I think that’s a shame”.
People who have had a heart attack and are at a higher risk of heart disease or injury are now frequently prescribed antidepressants by doctors.
According to estimates, the medication save thousands of lives annually in the UK and even more globally.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance, mostly made in the heart, which is carried and transported in the body.
Folks need some cholesterol to stay healthy, but too much “bad” cholesterol may clog the arteries and impede blood flow.
Statins help to keep the heart arteries clear of any oily build-up and lower the “bad” cholesterol in the blood.
In 1933, Prof. Endo was born in remote Japan, and he later began his physiology studies at Tokohu University.
It was while working for the medical firm, Sankyo, in Tokyo in 1973 that he made his great discovery.
Before one mushrooms that reduced lipid, it took many years to research thousands of different ones.
The first attempt at utilizing it failed to work well enough for the people. Finally, other pharmaceutical companies began looking for comparable substances.
And in September 1987, the second statins, lovastatin, was approved for medical use in the US.
Fungi have spawned some of our most critical drugs- most notably, the antibiotic antibiotic.
Dr. Fleming discovered it by accident in 1928 when he returned from a trip to discover mold growing in a Petri dish filled with bacteria. He observed that the mold produced a substance that appeared to prevent the bacteria from growing. That chemical came to be known as antibiotic.
Since its discovery in the 1970s, the fungus-derived cyclosporine has revolutionized graft treatments, preventing the body from rejecting the donor tissues.
SINGAPORE: The leader of the , Singapore National Employers Federation ( SNEF), Dr , Robert Yap, has resigned after the company said it was informed of a “governance legal slip” during a regular internal review.
Dr Yap led SNEF for 10 times.  , He has even stepped down as a member of the council,  , the , plan- making figure of the union.
After the discovery of the lapse, the city’s council hired an external consultant to conduct a thorough investigation of its internal processes, according to a SNEF press release on Tuesday ( Jun 11 ).
” The independent assessment is now underway”, it added.
The government is currently unaware of any economic repercussions resulting from this fall.
SNEF protects the interests of Singaporean firms. It claims to have more than 3,300 members and a labor of more than 800,000 as a whole.
Its speech did not specify the motives behind Dr Yap’s departure. It even did not respond to CNA’s issues about , the nature of the management fall.
SNEF said, however, that the departure was agreed upon between Dr Yap and the committee and was  , effective soon.
The government added that at this point, it does not consider a police report is appropriate.
Prior to the annual general meeting, when the new government will be elected by members, Dr. Yap’s duties may be assigned to committee members.
The new government members will then cast their ballots for the president and the business bearers, according to SNEF. This is scheduled to occur later this year.
The government does direct oversee this independent review, the union said in its media statement, noting that the federation takes the responsibility of upholding the governance ideals that all of our stakeholders expect.
Dr. Yap became the SNEF council’s president in September of that year after serving as the executive chairman of the supply chain and logistics firm YCH Group.
He serves as the head of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and Malaysia-Singapore Business Council, as well as the ASEAN Confederation of Employers.
Because the independent assessment is in progress, SNEF said it is unable to comment more.
It released a declaration from Dr Yap, who said:  ,” I thank the SNEF government, SNEF people and bilateral participants for their times of help. I have made a lot of effort to advance the rights of my associates and tripartism in Singapore. I’ve done everything I may, but it’s never easy. It is also occasion to hand over the reins of administration.
I fully understand the agency’s choice to work with an outside consultant to conduct an independent evaluation. Governance techniques should always be reviewed so that organizations can continue to strengthen and take away from any organizational flaws. ”  ,
The union is reviewing its internal processes, according to the Ministry of Manpower ( MOM). SNEF informed the organization that it had been informed of Dr. Yap’s resignation.  ,
MOM has requested SNEF to release us with the results of their assessment and to reveal crucial evidence with MOM as soon as it is finished,” though there is no evidence of any financial repercussions arising from this fall so far,” it continued.
MOM said it , may decide on its future course of action after the assessment.  ,
The bilateral procedure will remain unchanged. In order to improve our economic and social objectives for Singapore, MOM will continue to collaborate with SNEF, the government added.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) reported that it had been informed that Dr. Yap is leaving his positions at SNEF.
It noted that, under Dr Yap, SNEF had , contributed to numerous bilateral authorities and workgroups, advocating the attention of companies in improving the lives and lives of their employees.
NTUC said it was” happy” of his efforts to the employment movement.
” With SNEF and MOM, NTUC will continue to uphold tripartism. Tripartism has been and continues to be one of the foundations of Singapore’s victory, “it added.
SINGAPORE: Singapore National Employers Federation ( SNEF ) president Robert Yap has resigned after , the union said it was informed of a “governance procedural lapse” during a routine internal review.  , In a media statement, SNEF said on Tuesday ( Jun 11 ) the , council “promptly engaged an external consultantContinue Reading
For assistance might be of benefit to people like Mr. Alvin Gan’s mom, who has dementia and resides with three people in a flat.
Mr. Gan used to be her mother’s major caretaker, making sure she ate and ate the right foods. He took her to a day treatment center for several years after he married and had his own children.
” But she did n’t manage to actually make some friends, a long- term friendship”, Mr Gan recounted.
No one was looking after her, she claimed. When I went to work, the house was empty, just her staying all by herself, and she got pretty sad”.
He became aware of the Red Crowns design while considering visiting a traditional medical facility.
She has had the opportunity to interact with various people her age while residing in a straight with people. Additionally, Mr. Gan stated that he can come to see her at any time.
” Yet before she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, there were not a lot of options left for me to look into. Most of the time, I had to employ domestic helpers to assist her in taking care, which is not the best option because the girl was just able to take care of her when she had to eat and drink, according to Mr. Gan.
” In the past, she stayed all by herself ever since my father passed on, so for many centuries, she was all alone. Psychologically, alone, mentally, she was only as well”.
Then, Mr Gan said she has become the “youngest girl” in her level and gets help from the other elders.
” She opened up quite a lot. She’s more available and more cheerful than before”, he added.
2 hours before
By Theo Leggett, BBC international business correspondent
Getty ImagesThe European Union is likely to impose tariffs on China as it is accused of selling electric automobiles at artificially low prices this year.
The BYD Seagull is a tiny, cheap, neatly styled electric vehicle ( EV ). An urban runabout that wo n’t break any speed records, but nor will it break the bank.
In China, it has a starting price of 69, 800 yuan ($ 9, 600, £7, 500 ). Due to safety concerns, it is anticipated that the cost of transportation in Europe will be at least twice that amount. But that would still remain, by electric vehicle standards, very low.
That prospect is worrying for Western companies. They worry that the tiny Seagull may turn out to be an aggressive varieties, one of a number of Chinese-built types poised to invade their own markets at the cost of indigenous vehicles.
Over the past 20 years, China’s domestic vehicle industry has grown quickly. Its creation, along with that of the power market, was a key component of the” Made In China 2025″ strategy, a 10- year professional policy launched by the Communist Party in Beijing in 2015.
As a result, businesses like BYD are now competing with Tesla to become the biggest electronic vehicle maker in the world. Established companies such as SAIC, the owner of the MG company, and Volvo’s user Geely, have also become huge participants in the EV business.
Last year, more than eight million electric vehicles were sold in China – about 60% of the global total, according to the International Energy Agency’s annual Global EV Outlook.
For politicians in Europe and the US, yet, this is a cause for concern. They worry that their own businesses may not be able to thrive because Chinese companies have a lot of surplus power and are entering foreign markets. They assert that substantial subsidies for domestic production keep Chinese companies ‘ prices at a level that different companies may struggle to match.
According to a report by the Swiss bank UBS, published in September, the Chinese advantage is real. It suggested that BYD could produce cars at some 25% lower cost than the best of the legacy global carmakers.
BYD and another Chinese companies were” set to conquer the world market with high-tech, low-cost Vehicles for the people,” according to the statement.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Alliance for American Manufacturing warned that the introduction of cheap Chinese cars could be an “extinction-level event” for the US auto industry. It called for a “dedicated and concerted effort to turn those imports back”, concluding that there was “no time to lose”.
Last month, the US took decisive action. The Biden administration raised its tariff on imports of Chinese battery-powered cars from 25% to 100%. Sales of Chinese-made EVs in the US are currently negligible; with the new tariffs, they are likely to stay that way.
The action was a component of a wider set of measures that Beijing has labeled “naked protectionism” and targeted imports from China.
The US is also subsidizing its own auto economy through tax incentives, which lower the cost of purchasing domestically produced cars.
The EU appears to be taking a more reasonable approach, despite strong language.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, made an announcement about an exploration into Chinese goods in her state of the union address in September of last year.
She claimed that “less expensive Taiwanese electric cars are now flooding the world.”
” Their rate is artificially lower by substantial state subsidies. This is distorting our business”.
The primary outcomes of that research are now on the verge.
The Commission’s anticipated provisional increase of duties on imported EVs from China will be between 20 and 25 % higher than the standard 10 % for imports from third countries.
Getty ImagesThis would be a much more equal answer than the US move, according to Schmidt Automotive Research’s Matthias Schmidt.
” The 100 % tariff is simply pure protectionism, discriminatory and stifles development, and prevents a dynamic environment for the consumer”, he says.
” If the EU imposes tariffs of no more than 25 %, it will be more about leveling the playing field and sprinkling up the 30 % cost advantage Chinese manufacturers have.”
However, tariffs may harm Western firms as well as helping them.
Initially, they would not just affect Taiwanese brands. For instance, BMW’s iX3 energy SUV is built at a shop in Dadong and exported to Europe. Additionally, the business intends to buy a lot of Chinese-made energy Minis.
Both designs may become subject to the tariffs, leaving the company to collect the additional cost, or lift prices. Tesla, a US company that manufactures automobiles for trade to Europe, would also be affected.
Second, although Western makes have invested strongly in production in China in recent years, in partnership with regional manufacturers, a number of them also export higher- value models to Chinese markets.
These shipments might be targeted if China wanted to retaliate by imposing its own stringent tariffs.
Getty ImagesIt makes sense then that executives at European carmakers have been remarkably unfavorable of the EU’s initiative.
Earlier this year, Volkswagen Group’s chief executive Oliver Blume warned that the introduction of tariffs was “potentially dangerous”, because of the risk of retaliation.
BMW’s CEO, Oliver Zipse, said last month that “you could very quickly shoot yourself in the foot” if you engaged in trade wars. He added that” we do n’t think our industry needs protection.”
In an effort to encourage European companies to do a better job, Ola Källenius, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz, has gone a step further by publicly calling for tariffs to be lowered rather than raised on Chinese EV imports.
France has largely backed the EU investigation. Yet even among French manufacturers, there is doubt as to whether tariffs are the correct approach.
Carlos Tavares, head of the Stellantis group which includes Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall/Opel and DS, has described them as” a major trap for countries that go down that path”.
He has warned that European carmakers are engaged in a” Darwinian” conflict with their Chinese rivals, which will likely have social effects as they lower their costs in an effort to compete.
Renault’s chief executive Luca de Meo, meanwhile, says” we are not in favour of protectionism, but competition must be fair”.
In an effort to compete with both, he has demanded the adoption of a strong European industrial policy to advance the sector, drawing inspiration from those taken up by the US and China.
Meanwhile, the UK is looking on with interest. The Trade Remedies Authority, the country’s trade watchdog, has previously stated that, if ministers or the industry desired an investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, he would be ready to do so.
It is understood that no such request has been made so far. Ultimately, as a deeply political issue, it will be something for the next government to address, after the election.
For both automakers and policymakers, higher tariffs may give Europe more time to adapt to the challenge presented by China.
However, many in the sector acknowledge that if Europe is to remain a major player in the global automotive industry, it will need to do much more than simply erect barricades at home.
Consider TSMC. The business has chosen spots at the center of the automotive supply chain despite not producing cars. Ford, BMW and Porsche all have amenities near Dresden, the webpage of TSMC’s timely European fantastic.  , Co- buyers in that stock include Robert Bosch, Infineon Technologies and NXP Semiconductors.
Anyone who wants to provide supplies or products to TSMC will need to operate in the vicinity of the European capital.
For its shop in Japan’s Kumamoto district,  , TSMC is teaming up with Sony Group,  , Toyota Motor and mechanical- electronics dealer Denso. This service will provide Japan’s world- leading carmaking, business and , consumer electronics industries.
The development strategy, announced in 2021, spurred manufacturers Mitsubishi Electric, Sumco and Kyocera to describe new opportunities in the area.
TSMC’s hospital in Arizona is a different tale. There is no compelling business case for setting up shop there because the area is devoid of noteworthy relevant companies. The Japanese company had little choice because of client pressure and incentives from US government levels at the state and federal levels. Even then, manufacturers were , quick to follow,  , including business companies , LCY Chemical and Topco Scientific.
With over 640 million seats counted on June 5, 2024, spectators in India’s largest vote, which marked the end of the process, as well as what lessons can be learned for the rest of the world.
The efforts made extensive use of AI, including algorithmic imitations of candidates, celebrities and dying politicians. By some quotes, thousands of American citizens viewed deepfakes.
But, despite worries of common propaganda, for the most part the promotions, candidates and activists used AI positively in the vote. They used AI for normal political activities, including politicking, but generally to better interact with citizens.
Democratic parties in India spent an estimated US$ 50 million on authorized AI-generated material for precise connection with their constituencies this election period. And it was generally effective.
American political strategists have used Artificial to boost their communication because they have long understood the influence of character and emotion on their constituents. Young and future Artificial companies like The Indian Deepfaker, which began out serving the pleasure sector, immediately responded to this growing need for AI-generated promotion material.
In January, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who was chief minister of the southwestern state of Tamil Nadu for two years, appeared via video at his party’s children aircraft event. He wore his signature yellow robe, white sweater, dark glasses and had his familiar attitude – nose slightly bent backward. Karunanidhi passed away in 2018, though. His party authorized the deepfake. A dead politician was introduced into the Indian election campaign by fake technology.
In February, the All- India Anna Dravidian Progressive Federation party’s official X account posted an audio clip of Jayaram Jayalalithaa, the iconic superstar of Tamil politics colloquially called” Amma” or” Mother”. Jayalalithaa passed away in 2016
Meanwhile, local representatives called voters to discuss local issues, but the voice on the other end of the phone was an AI impersonator. Shakti Singh Rathore, a member of the Bhhartiya Janta Party ( BJP), has been a frequenter of AI startups, sending personalized videos to specific voters about the government benefits they received and asking for their support over WhatsApp.
AI was present in the Indian elections in other ways than just deepfakes. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a crowd of a large number of people eager to celebrate the connections between the state of Tamil Nadu in the south of India and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh’s northern state. As his Hindi speech was actually translated into Tamil, Modi proudly announced the launch of his “new AI technology” by requiring his audience to wear earphones.
The BJP used AI tools to make Modi’s personality accessible to voters in areas where Hindi is difficult to understand in a nation with 22 official languages and almost 780 unofficially recorded languages. Since 2022, Modi and his BJP have been using the AI- powered tool Bhashini, embedded in the NaMo mobile app, to translate Modi’s speeches with voiceovers in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Odia, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi.
Some AI companies distributed their own viral versions of Modi’s well-known monthly radio show” Mann Ki Baat,” loosely translated” From the Heart,” which they voice-cloned to regional languages as part of their demos.
Indian political parties used AI to bolster their ongoing meme battles, and they doubled down on online trolling. The Indian National Congress uploaded a short clip to its 6 million Instagram followers early in the election season, using the song’s title from a brand-new Hindi music album called” Chor” ( thief ). Modi’s voice was copied by the video, which placed his digital likeness on the lead singer and reworked his lyrics to criticize his close ties to Indian business tycoons.
On its 7 million-follower Instagram account, the BJP launched a counter-retaliation video featuring a supercut of Modi campaigning on the streets, mixed with supporters ‘ clips, and played to unique music. It was a well-known singer Mahendra Kapoor‘s old patriotic Hindi song that was sung by him but was revived using artificial voice cloning. Kapoor passed away in 2008 and is now 84.
A common meme that alters footage of rapper Lil Yachty on stage, Modi himself tweeted an AI-created video of him dancing. Such inventiveness in the peak poll season is truly a delight, he said.
In some cases, generative AI tools were used to convey the violent rhetoric used in Modi’s campaign, which put Muslims at risk and stoked violence. However, the harm can be attributed to the offensive rhetoric itself, not necessarily the AI tools used to spread it.
India is a first-time adopter, and its experiments with artificial intelligence serve as an example of what the rest of the world can anticipate from upcoming elections. Making it harder to tell the truth from fiction is made more accessible by technology’s ability to produce nonconsensual deepfakes of anyone, but its consensual applications are likely to increase that sameness.
The use of AI in participatory democracy that began with entertainment, political meme wars, emotional appeals to people, resurrected politicians, and persuasion through personalized phone calls to voters has opened a door for the role of AI in participatory democracy.
The BJP’s failure to win the anticipated parliamentary majority and India’s return to a highly competitive political system, among other things, highlights the potential for AI to play a positive role in deliberative democracy and representative governance.
Any political party or candidate wants to have more specific conversations with their constituents, which is a priority in a democracy. In an unprecedented attempt to make their messages more accessible, especially to rural, low-income voters, by using AI for more individualized communication across linguistic and ethnically diverse constituencies.
Voters can communicate their demands and experiences directly with their representatives, and this could be done through AI and the development of participatory democracy, which would enable personalized communication as well as dialogue.
India can serve as an example of extending AI-aided party-to-people communications beyond politics with its recent proficiency. These platforms are already being used by the government to offer citizens in their native tongues government services.
This technology could provide a new era of representative governance, especially given the demands and experiences of rural residents.
Vandinika Shukla is a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Practicing Democracy Project, and Bruce Schneier is a visiting adjunct professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
