AI Should Tackle Societal Challenges Without Undermining Human Values, Says Rajat Khare

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has triggered both excitement and concern across industries worldwide. While AI holds the promise to revolutionize sectors and offer solutions to pressing global challenges, its growing use in promoting convenience over critical human needs is raising red flags among policymakers, technologists, and investors.

Many technology companies and venture capitalists are increasingly drawn to innovations like self-driving cars and voice-activated assistants—products designed to make daily life effortless. However, this surge in convenience-driven technology risks diverting attention from addressing the more urgent issues that humanity faces.

Are We Prioritizing Convenience Over Core Human Values?

The tendency to favor novelty and ease over meaningful societal impact could have profound consequences. Human emotions, instincts, and ethical reasoning form the basis of responsible decision-making. Sacrificing these in favor of automating even basic functions can erode the very foundations that allow societies to debate, innovate, and grow ethically.

While advancements that enhance quality of life are important, experts emphasize the need for technologists, entrepreneurs, and investors to maintain a long-term commitment to tackling global challenges. The focus, they argue, should remain on solving problems that directly affect humanity's survival and well-being rather than merely catering to the pursuit of effortless living.

The Role of AI in Solving Global Issues

Artificial Intelligence still plays a pivotal role in crucial sectors like healthcare, education, environment, agriculture, space exploration, and data security. In an era where climate change has become an undeniable reality, experts insist that AI must be increasingly directed toward mitigating environmental crises.

The urgency of this need was underscored at the 2024 United Nations Climate Summit (COP29), which took place during another year of record-breaking global temperatures. Dubbed the "finance COP," the summit focused on mobilizing funding to support lower-income nations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A UN-backed report emphasized that emerging economies—excluding China—require investments exceeding $2 trillion annually by 2030 to curb global warming. Much of this funding is expected to come from wealthier nations, global investors, and multilateral development banks.

The Crucial Influence of Venture Capital

Venture capitalists have a significant role to play in determining the future trajectory of technology. Investment decisions made today can either contribute to solving global challenges or exacerbate existing issues.

Rajat Khare, founder of venture capital firm Boundary Holding, stresses the importance of aligning investments with long-term societal needs. He highlights that the firm's focus has been on areas like med-tech, green-tech, and marine-tech—sectors that are directly involved in addressing global threats like climate change.

"It's both a business and a life decision for most of us," Khare notes. "Rather than investing in technologies that simply make life easier, we aim to support initiatives that can help mitigate the impact of climate change. Our investments are centered around companies offering practical solutions to real-world problems, especially in regions like Eurasia."

AI-Driven Solutions That Matter

One example of technology being used meaningfully is RanMarine Technology, a Rotterdam-based company specializing in aquatic pollution cleanup through autonomous surface vessels (ASVs). Another, Smart Clean, leverages AI to drive efficient, data-led cleaning operations. Both companies illustrate how AI, when thoughtfully applied, can lead to tangible improvements in environmental health.

Healthcare, too, stands at the forefront of AI-driven innovation. New AI tools are making it possible for doctors to diagnose illnesses such as cancer or heart disease earlier and more accurately than ever before. This early detection can potentially save millions of lives globally.

Similarly, AI is becoming instrumental in environmental conservation, helping monitor deforestation, track carbon emissions, and enhance the efficiency of renewable energy systems. In education, AI-powered adaptive learning platforms are personalizing student experiences, ensuring that educational content is tailored to individual strengths and weaknesses.

A Call for Responsible Innovation

The future of AI lies not in replacing human instincts and values but in complementing and enhancing them. As Rajat Khare emphasizes, the challenge for technologists, entrepreneurs, and investors is to resist the allure of short-term convenience and instead commit to innovation that serves broader societal goals.

The potential of AI is immense, but realizing it will require perseverance, ethical responsibility, and a clear focus on addressing the existential challenges humanity faces.

Source: International Business Times – "AI Must Address Societal Challenges, Not Replace Human Values & Instincts: Rajat Khare, Boundary Holding