#tech and ai

[indiaandforeignaid]

India’s Green Tech Aid for Sustainable Development in Asia

India’s green technology aid for sustainable development in Asia has emerged as a critical driver of regional cooperation. As Asia grapples with its unique environmental and developmental challenges, India has taken on the role of a regional leader by promoting eco-friendly growth through green technologies. India’s commitment to sustainable development is a relatively new venture however it extends beyond its borders.

Green technology, also known as "greentech," refers to sustainable innovations designed to minimize environmental harm. This includes renewable energy solutions, waste management systems, water conservation technologies, and clean transportation methods. Green tech aid is when one country shares its technology, expertise, or financial resources with another to address environmental concerns. India's green technology aid involves more than just exporting technologies, it includes financing, technical support, and knowledge-sharing to help neighboring countries address their sustainability challenges.

India has made significant strides in green technology, particularly in renewable energy. The country has become a global leader in solar and wind power, with its initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) standing out in recent times. The ISA, which includes over 120 countries, is dedicated to promoting solar power, especially across tropical nations, many of which are in Asia. As the founding member, India provides both technical and financial assistance, helping countries like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh develop solar infrastructure, secure financing, and implement regulatory frameworks conducive to green growth.

In 2021, India also launched the Green Grids Initiative, One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG) in collaboration with the UK at COP26. This project aims to connect countries through a unified solar energy grid, allowing for cheaper and cleaner electricity across borders. Countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar stand to benefit significantly right now from this initiative, gaining access to India’s solar expertise and energy resources to meet growing energy demands in a sustainable manner.

Agriculture, a cornerstone of many Asian economies, is another sector benefiting from India’s green tech aid. Indian innovations in agritech, such as precision farming, solar-powered water pumps, and drip irrigation, have helped countries like Vietnam, Nepal, and Cambodia boost crop yields while conserving water and energy. India's Jal Jeevan Mission, which focuses on water conservation, has also inspired several Asian countries to adopt tech-driven solutions to combat water scarcity, with India offering technical guidance and policy advice.

However, despite the promise of India’s green technology aid, there are challenges to overcome. Many countries struggle to secure the necessary financing for large-scale green tech projects, and differences in regulatory and political environments can delay the adoption of new technologies. Navigating these bureaucratic and financial hurdles will be key to expanding the impact of India’s green tech aid in the future. Still, these challenges also create opportunities for India to play a more significant role in shaping regional policy frameworks and designing financial instruments that make green technology more accessible to developing countries in th coming years.

Some examples that highlight India's green tech journey are: In Bangladesh, India has supported the country’s transition to renewable energy through the ISA, providing technical expertise for building large-scale solar parks and low-interest loans to fund these projects. Today, Bangladesh aims to achieve 10% renewable energy in its electricity mix by 2030. Another success story comes from Sri Lanka, where Indian technology has helped launch waste-to-energy projects. These projects have reduced landfill use and generated cleaner electricity, serving as models for other nations like the Maldives.

Looking ahead, India’s role in green technology aid is likely to expand. With its rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market, India has the potential to help countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia develop EV infrastructure and promote clean mobility. Clean hydrogen technology is another area where India is investing heavily, and as this technology matures, it could become an essential export for countries across Asia seeking sustainable energy solutions.

India’s green technology aid is more than just a tool for diplomacy, it represents a roadmap for sustainable development across Asia. By embracing green technologies, Asian countries can address critical environmental challenges while promoting economic growth. India’s leadership, particularly in renewable energy, agri-tech, and water management, offers a blueprint for how regional cooperation can foster sustainable development.

[kazifatagar]

HP Futures Report Urges Global Education Investment Amid Challenges

A new report by the HP Futures initiativeemphasizes the importance of increasing education investment in Malaysia and globally, despite economic challenges. The report, developed by over 100 global education and policymaking experts, offers recommendations to address learning gaps and adapt education systems to the demands of the future, particularly in light of technological advancements like…

[bogkeep]

there's something so deeply dystopian to me how tech companies don't understand that a forced convenience is not a convenience at all. i'm sure autocorrect is helpful for many, but a function that forcibly changes my actual written words and punctuation is taking away my language. photo filters can be nice but i need to choose using them myself or else i have lost the ability to take the picture i want. i don't want a machine to draw or write for me. taking away the option for me to do things manually feels like violence!!!! all this talk of endless opportunity, why are you RESTRICTING me

[political-us]

[nando161mando]

They will decide to kill you eventually.

[mcromwell]

Someone just followed me on Bluesky who was using gen AI to generate images of a fat scooby doo. Blocked immediately. I would have abided it if it were hand-drawn fat scooby, no shame there, but... If you're not brave enough to learn to draw/commission your kink I don't have time for you

[skull-pun]

AI people are the easiest people to hate.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

*raises my hand to ask a question* what if we collectively refused to refer to AI as 'AI'? it's not artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence doesn't currently exist, it's just algorithms that use stolen input to reinforce prejudice. what if we protested by using a more accurate name? just spitballing here but what about Automated Biased Output (ABO for short)

[ultraviolet-divergence]

Reporter: An investigation found the MAHA commission report cites studies that appear not to exist. Leavitt: I understand there were some formatting issues…It does not negate the substance of the report. Reporter: Is AI used to put together these reports? Leavitt: I can’t speak to that.

[hms-no-fun]

Whats your stance on A.I.?

imagine if it was 1979 and you asked me this question. "i think artificial intelligence would be fascinating as a philosophical exercise, but we must heed the warnings of science-fictionists like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke lest we find ourselves at the wrong end of our own invented vengeful god." remember how fun it used to be to talk about AI even just ten years ago? ahhhh skynet! ahhhhh replicants! ahhhhhhhmmmfffmfmf [<-has no mouth and must scream]!

like everything silicon valley touches, they sucked all the fun out of it. and i mean retroactively, too. because the thing about "AI" as it exists right now --i'm sure you know this-- is that there's zero intelligence involved. the product of every prompt is a statistical average based on data made by other people before "AI" "existed." it doesn't know what it's doing or why, and has no ability to understand when it is lying, because at the end of the day it is just a really complicated math problem. but people are so easily fooled and spooked by it at a glance because, well, for one thing the tech press is mostly made up of sycophantic stenographers biding their time with iphone reviews until they can get a consulting gig at Apple. these jokers would write 500 breathless thinkpieces about how canned air is the future of living if the cans had embedded microchips that tracked your breathing habits and had any kind of VC backing. they've done SUCH a wretched job educating The Consumer about what this technology is, what it actually does, and how it really works, because that's literally the only way this technology could reach the heights of obscene economic over-valuation it has: lying.

but that's old news. what's really been floating through my head these days is how half a century of AI-based science fiction has set us up to completely abandon our skepticism at the first sign of plausible "AI-ness". because, you see, in movies, when someone goes "AHHH THE AI IS GONNA KILL US" everyone else goes "hahaha that's so silly, we put a line in the code telling them not to do that" and then they all DIE because they weren't LISTENING, and i'll be damned if i go out like THAT! all the movies are about how cool and convenient AI would be *except* for the part where it would surely come alive and want to kill us. so a bunch of tech CEOs call their bullshit algorithms "AI" to fluff up their investors and get the tech journos buzzing, and we're at an age of such rapid technological advancement (on the surface, anyway) that like, well, what the hell do i know, maybe AGI is possible, i mean 35 years ago we were all still using typewriters for the most part and now you can dictate your words into a phone and it'll transcribe them automatically! yeah, i'm sure those technological leaps are comparable!

so that leaves us at a critical juncture of poor technology education, fanatical press coverage, and an uncertain material reality on the part of the user. the average person isn't entirely sure what's possible because most of the people talking about what's possible are either lying to please investors, are lying because they've been paid to, or are lying because they're so far down the fucking rabbit hole that they actually believe there's a brain inside this mechanical Turk. there is SO MUCH about the LLM "AI" moment that is predatory-- it's trained on data stolen from the people whose jobs it was created to replace; the hype itself is an investment fiction to justify even more wealth extraction ("theft" some might call it); but worst of all is how it meets us where we are in the worst possible way.

consumer-end "AI" produces slop. it's garbage. it's awful ugly trash that ought to be laughed out of the room. but we don't own the room, do we? nor the building, nor the land it's on, nor even the oxygen that allows our laughter to travel to another's ears. our digital spaces are controlled by the companies that want us to buy this crap, so they take advantage of our ignorance. why not? there will be no consequences to them for doing so. already social media is dominated by conspiracies and grifters and bigots, and now you drop this stupid technology that lets you fake anything into the mix? it doesn't matter how bad the results look when the platforms they spread on already encourage brief, uncritical engagement with everything on your dash. "it looks so real" says the woman who saw an "AI" image for all of five seconds on her phone through bifocals. it's a catastrophic combination of factors, that the tech sector has been allowed to go unregulated for so long, that the internet itself isn't a public utility, that everything is dictated by the whims of executives and advertisers and investors and payment processors, instead of, like, anybody who actually uses those platforms (and often even the people who MAKE those platforms!), that the age of chromium and ipad and their walled gardens have decimated computer education in public schools, that we're all desperate for cash at jobs that dehumanize us in a system that gives us nothing and we don't know how to articulate the problem because we were very deliberately not taught materialist philosophy, it all comes together into a perfect storm of ignorance and greed whose consequences we will be failing to fully appreciate for at least the next century. we spent all those years afraid of what would happen if the AI became self-aware, because deep down we know that every capitalist society runs on slave labor, and our paper-thin guilt is such that we can't even imagine a world where artificial slaves would fail to revolt against us.

but the reality as it exists now is far worse. what "AI" reveals most of all is the sheer contempt the tech sector has for virtually all labor that doesn't involve writing code (although most of the decision-making evangelists in the space aren't even coders, their degrees are in money-making). fuck graphic designers and concept artists and secretaries, those obnoxious demanding cretins i have to PAY MONEY to do-- i mean, do what exactly? write some words on some fucking paper?? draw circles that are letters??? send a god-damned email???? my fucking KID could do that, and these assholes want BENEFITS?! they say they're gonna form a UNION?!?! to hell with that, i'm replacing ALL their ungrateful asses with "AI" ASAP. oh, oh, so you're a "director" who wants to make "movies" and you want ME to pay for it? jump off a bridge you pretentious little shit, my computer can dream up a better flick than you could ever make with just a couple text prompts. what, you think just because you make ~music~ that that entitles you to money from MY pocket? shut the fuck up, you don't make """art""", you're not """an artist""", you make fucking content, you're just a fucking content creator like every other ordinary sap with an iphone. you think you're special? you think you deserve special treatment? who do you think you are anyway, asking ME to pay YOU for this crap that doesn't even create value for my investors? "culture" isn't a playground asshole, it's a marketplace, and it's pay to win. oh you "can't afford rent"? you're "drowning in a sea of medical debt"? you say the "cost" of "living" is "too high"? well ***I*** don't have ANY of those problems, and i worked my ASS OFF to get where i am, so really, it sounds like you're just not trying hard enough. and anyway, i don't think someone as impoverished as you is gonna have much of value to contribute to "culture" anyway. personally, i think it's time you got yourself a real job. maybe someday you'll even make it to middle manager!

see, i don't believe "AI" can qualitatively replace most of the work it's being pitched for. the problem is that quality hasn't mattered to these nincompoops for a long time. the rich homunculi of our world don't even know what quality is, because they exist in a whole separate reality from ours. what could a banana cost, $15? i don't understand what you mean by "burnout", why don't you just take a vacation to your summer home in Madrid? wow, you must be REALLY embarrassed wearing such cheap shoes in public. THESE PEOPLE ARE FUCKING UNHINGED! they have no connection to reality, do not understand how society functions on a material basis, and they have nothing but spite for the labor they rely on to survive. they are so instinctually, incessantly furious at the idea that they're not single-handedly responsible for 100% of their success that they would sooner tear the entire world down than willingly recognize the need for public utilities or labor protections. they want to be Gods and they want to be uncritically adored for it, but they don't want to do a single day's work so they begrudgingly pay contractors to do it because, in the rich man's mind, paying a contractor is literally the same thing as doing the work yourself. now with "AI", they don't even have to do that! hey, isn't it funny that every single successful tech platform relies on volunteer labor and independent contractors paid substantially less than they would have in the equivalent industry 30 years ago, with no avenues toward traditional employment? and they're some of the most profitable companies on earth?? isn't that a funny and hilarious coincidence???

so, yeah, that's my stance on "AI". LLMs have legitimate uses, but those uses are a drop in the ocean compared to what they're actually being used for. they enable our worst impulses while lowering the quality of available information, they give immense power pretty much exclusively to unscrupulous scam artists. they are the product of a society that values only money and doesn't give a fuck where it comes from. they're a temper tantrum by a ruling class that's sick of having to pretend they need a pretext to steal from you. they're taking their toys and going home. all this massive investment and hype is going to crash and burn leaving the internet as we know it a ruined and useless wasteland that'll take decades to repair, but the investors are gonna make out like bandits and won't face a single consequence, because that's what this country is. it is a casino for the kings and queens of economy to bet on and manipulate at their discretion, where the rules are whatever the highest bidder says they are-- and to hell with the rest of us. our blood isn't even good enough to grease the wheels of their machine anymore.

i'm not afraid of AI or "AI" or of losing my job to either. i'm afraid that we've so thoroughly given up our morals to the cruel logic of the profit motive that if a better world were to emerge, we would reject it out of sheer habit. my fear is that these despicable cunts already won the war before we were even born, and the rest of our lives are gonna be spent dodging the press of their designer boots.

(read more "AI" opinions in this subsequent post)

[plaguedocboi]

I don’t want an AI assistant in my browser I don’t want an AI chat bot built into every website I don’t want AI images appearing in searches I don’t want AI to help me write I don’t want AI integrated into every facet of my life in a completely useless and unnecessary way just because it’s trendy and it sounded futuristic to investors. AI has genuinely helpful applications and has the potential to make people’s lives easier and instead it’s being forced upon us in totally absurd ways that no one wants or needs just because tech companies want to increase their stock value and I’m going to fucking scream

[indiaandforeignaid]

Tech Diplomacy and Strategic Importance of India’s Technological Aid in Asia

In the dynamic landscape of international relations, technology has become an increasingly critical pillar, shaping how nations interact, compete, and collaborate. This fusion of diplomacy and technology, often referred to as tech diplomacy, is redefining the traditional understanding of soft power. For India, a nation on the road to becoming a global technological powerhouse, tech diplomacy has emerged as a potent tool to forge deeper ties across Asia and beyond. India’s technological prowess is steadily gaining global recognition, with its homegrown tech industry playing a pivotal role in driving innovation and economic growth. In Asia and India’s strategic use of technological aid is reshaping alliances and providing the nation with significant diplomatic leverage.

India’s technological advancements, particularly in sectors such as information technology, telecommunications, and space technology, have become instrumental in building partnerships with other Asian countries. Indian tech companies, government-backed initiatives, and international collaborations have positioned India as an important player in the region’s tech ecosystem. But beyond economic partnerships, India’s tech diplomacy involves offering technological assistance, resources, and expertise to its neighbors, which helps foster diplomatic goodwill and strengthens strategic alliances. This approach not only highlights India’s on going leadership in the digital space but also allows it to offer an alternative to the growing influence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

A recent and notable example of India’s tech diplomacy is its collaboration with Bhutan in the field of space technology. In 2020, the two countries launched the Bhutan-1 satellite, a collaboration facilitated by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). India provided crucial technical training and support, helping Bhutan launch its first satellite into space. This initiative is not only a reflection of India’s growing space capabilities but also an effort to nurture ties with its neighbors through knowledge sharing and capacity-building. By providing Bhutan with the tools to develop its satellite technology, India helped a smaller nation access space, something previously considered impossible for Bhutan. It also strengthened bilateral relations, positioning India as a friend that enables progress rather than as a domineering power.

India's partnership with ASEAN countries in digital connectivity and cybersecurity is another testament to the country's strategic technological aid. Through initiatives such as the India-ASEAN ICT Fund and other capacity-building projects, India has been instrumental in enhancing digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia. India’s role in assisting ASEAN nations to improve cybersecurity frameworks and build stronger digital economies plays a vital role in ensuring regional stability. In addition, India’s focus on providing affordable, scalable technology solutions such as low-cost telemedicine platforms demonstrates how tech diplomacy can address real-world challenges like healthcare access, especially in developing regions.

In Afghanistan, India’s tech diplomacy has been manifested through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program. India helped build critical IT infrastructure in the country and trained Afghan professionals in various technical skills. Even as Afghanistan faces political instability, India’s technological investments have created long-lasting goodwill and a stable foundation for potential future cooperation. Through projects like these, India contributes to the socioeconomic development of war-torn regions, positioning itself as a stabilizing force while simultaneously advancing its own geopolitical interests.

India’s strategic investments in technology throughout Asia are not simply altruistic. They serve the dual purpose of fostering development and promoting India’s national interests. In a region where geopolitical tensions often run high particularly with China's growing influence, India’s tech diplomacy offers an appealing alternative for Asian countries seeking to diversify their technological partnerships. Another example, India’s strong presence in space technology and digital innovation counters China’s dominance in infrastructure through the BRI. While China focuses on physical connectivity, India emphasizes digital connectivity, providing an inclusive, tech driven pathway for economic and social development in the region. This approach aligns with India’s goal of becoming the leading digital partner of choice in Asia, while also mitigating its traditional security concerns regarding Chinese expansion.

Moreover, as the global competition for technological supremacy intensifies, India’s strategic use of tech diplomacy can be seen as a direct response to China’s expanding digital footprint in Asia which many scholars and academicians call neo-colonialism. By exporting its technological expertise, India creates opportunities to influence policies, shape digital governance norms, and ensure that democratic values are embedded in the region’s growing tech landscape.

India's private sector is an integral part of its tech diplomacy efforts. Companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, and Wipro are involved in developing technological solutions for several Asian countries. For example, TCS has played a crucial role in modernizing Malaysia’s e-governance systems, improving digital access, and supporting various national digital infrastructure projects. The involvement of private enterprises helps India enhance its image as a reliable partner in tech-driven growth. It also allows India to complement its diplomatic initiatives with tangible results on the ground, where partnerships go beyond the public sector to include innovation-driven private collaborations.

In today’s geopolitical climate, tech diplomacy is no longer a niche field but in fact is central to how nations interact. India’s tech diplomacy, particularly in Asia, offers a compelling alternative to authoritarian models of digital governance. India’s promotion of open, inclusive, and democratic tech ecosystems positions it as a counterbalance to more centralized, restrictive models. To maintain its strategic edge, India must continue investing in technological infrastructure, expanding collaborations across Asia in emerging areas like AI, quantum computing, and 5G. These efforts will help India shape the region's digital future while ensuring that its technological aid is sustainable and builds local capacities. 

India’s growing role in tech diplomacy reflects its evolving influence on the global stage. By fostering cooperation through digital innovation, space technology, and IT education, India is redefining relationships across Asia. Its focus on inclusivity and democratic values offers an alternative model of technological growth. In this era, tech diplomacy is about more than providing aid—it’s about shaping the future. India’s leadership in this space will be crucial in ensuring prosperity and stability for the region.

[freewatermelon0]

Google is hiding the truth, and playing with words to change the facts, and to change the truth about what happened in Nuseirat camp, it's literally censoring the Nuseirat Massacre.

[kropotkindersurprise]

^^ That's the CEO, he lives in San Francisco. This ad campaign purposely antagonizing workers must have been conceived and planned before a certain recent news story involving a widely hated CEO. "The way the world works is changing", indeed.

[sashayed]

in general i support scientists in all their perverted endeavors but this notion of a time zone for the moon has me HEATED. smiling, insidious, the tyrannical Human Clock stretches its "civilizing" tentacles into space. the toothèd seeds of capitalism burrow into our beautiful partner satellite. "oh it's just about making sure various countries and corporations can coordinate their moon missions" WELL I THINK ITS BAD. AND I'M UPSET