In human civilization, human beings are always in search of an alternative that can work at least similarly to human beings. In such a search process, recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are supposed to surpass human capacity. In mastery of language and in chess games AI has already crossed human ability indicating that there is unimaginable working capacity of AI in different sectors. According to famous author and historian Yuval Noah Harari, AI is associated with the future of humanity. In his words, there are at least two milestones in the development of AI. First is the capacity of the machine to identify and respond to the feelings and emotions of human beings. Another is not other than the ability to navigate and operate safely in the real-world scenario.

According to John McCarthy, AI is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines that can perform tasks that are characteristics of human intelligence. Intelligent systems could be in the form of software, hardware, or a combination of both. We notice some overlap between AI and information technology basically in terms of the use of computer technology. AI is more focused on creating intelligent systems that can be operated autonomously and make decisions, while IT is concerned with the infrastructure and systems used to manage and process data. 

Elements, applications, and recent trends of AI
The key elements of AI include Natural Language Processing (NLP), expert systems, robotics, intelligent agents, computational intelligence, artificial general intelligence, etc. In recent years many advancements have been made in each of these elements. Areas of AI application range from features in social media and smartphones to image and speech recognition, use of robotics in customer service, recommendation engines for effective strategies, stock trading, and useful products like generative AI. ChatGpt, chatBot, and Google Gemini are a few widely used generative AI tools that have already evolved through new generations with multiple capabilities. A paradigm shift is seen in AI quantum computing. AI human-like robots are interesting aspects in the sense that they can read human expressions and emotions so that they can be used in customer care and factories where similar actions are repeatedly done. The right tracking of the use of AI is the accountability of humans. If AI goes out of our control, there is a risk of developing once supposed friend into an alien.

Talking about the recent advancements in AI we should at least recall the web development and its commercial use since the 2000’s.  Another remarkable event was in late 2017 when an AI program named Alpha Zero developed by Google defeated the most powerful chess program in the world indicating that AI is winning over human capability. Simulation of intelligence in machines is another development in AI. Similarly, virtual reality and augmented reality creating simulated environments are crucial achievements made in the sector.

Emotionally intelligent AI can detect micro-expressions in the face and hence support customer care. Autonomous AI systems are known for multitasking such as driverless vehicle operation on crowded roads. Open AI developed by Microsoft is known for speech and image recognition. ChatGpt introduced in November 2022 is regarded as a turning point in AI use.  According to Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, machines may walk over the humans who make them shortly.

AI and education
Inequality in the facility of information and communication technology is best described as the digital divide. Once we make countrywide coverage of internet services, there will be easy availability of access to AI tools through apps most of which are free of cost. Personalized AI education systems are supposed to be adaptive and effective in addressing learning gaps followed by performance analysis. Hopefully, the quality of education will go up with the introduction of AI tools shortly.

AI and healthcare
The time taken for X-ray reports has diminished from more than a week to just 1 minute after the application of AI. Diagnostics of critical diseases have been made easier using AI-supported programs. For example, cure.AI is an Indian company providing its service to more than 700 hospitals. In Nepal also telemedicine is in use and there is the possibility of using AI-enhanced healthcare through well-equipped focal hospitals. AI-enhanced tools are useful not only for disease detection but also for personalized medication. There should be provision for data security and privacy protection as well.

AI and economy
We can recall the use of Sophia, the humanoid female robot in a Sustainable Development Goals-related program organized by UNDP in Kathmandu in March 2018. It is increasingly believed that AI will transform the global economy in the coming years. But we have to be prepared so that we can ensure the AI-based transformation. Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that AI may hit almost 40 percent of jobs. It may cause a new kind of inequality in the world. Back in history machines and computers cut a large number of jobs in their massive use stage which will be repeated with the massive use of AI tools too.

Also, AI is supposed to be useful in mitigating the impacts of climate change, waste management and efficient use of energy. Generative artificial intelligence has the potential to automate many tasks and eventually boost global economic growth. Goldman Sachs Research forecasts that AI will start having a remarkable impact on US GDP in 2027 and begin affecting growth in other economies around the world in the years that follow.

AI and society
With the fast-changing capacity of AI and its widespread use, the human being is gradually being AI-enhanced. At the initial stage, skepticism prevails everywhere. We need a set of policies to safely leverage the vast potential of AI for the benefit of humanity. The features and provisions in the AI tools should honor the basic tenets of democracy like freedom of expression, transparency, accountability, rule of law, human rights, and concerns of marginalized sections of society. Novel threats demand novel approaches to deal with and AI is not the exception. One study done based on the views of 2800 authors throughout the globe reveals that the speed of evolution of AI tools and techniques has been remarkably faster than it was projected earlier.

AI and Governance
It's clear to note that AI governance and governance through AI have different scopes. Now the trend has shifted from the first to the later one. Recently, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Nepal has prepared a preliminary conceptual note on the use of AI in Nepal and now engaging experts to give it a final shape. Now is the right time for the National Planning Commission to pay attention to policy and programs in upcoming periodic plans as well as annual budgets.

AI should be a priority agenda of government at least for learning and adaptation. We all know that UAE has already declared the provision of AI ministry. Many conferences are set in 2024 in different parts of the world. For example, the AI in Finance Summit is to be held in New York in April and the Applied AI Summit is to be organized by Denmark in the same month followed by the data innovation summit in Dubai in May 2024 indicating that AI has become the priority issue for global dialogue. Moreover, global initiatives are important to create a forum to discuss AI issues. For example, there may be a need for a treaty to ban the use of military robots, and check the random use of data algorithms, especially during general elections. While using AI we need to redirect it for the increase in production and simplification of public service delivery.

With its rapid increase in application, AI regulation is the area every government needs to pay attention to. Since the public sector of third world has every chance to lack AI experts there should be policy guiding for the capacity development of government officials followed by general regulation for the best use of AI in Nepal and encouragement for the tech companies working in the field of AI. It should be well noted that AI in the hands of bad actors will be a big concern.

Conclusion
AI is one of the potential good friends for human beings. AI can be an effective tool for influencing geopolitics on the ground that different tools developed especially in the northern blocks have already entered the Nepalese market. The government can play a role in taking strategic initiatives to make the best use of AI tools. Besides, there are many possibilities we can explore with the introduction of AI. Capability building will enable us the prioritization and best use. It's the right time to begin a dialogue among the stakeholders so that Nepal can be an active user of AI advancements for the benefit of citizens. (The writer is Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology)