Human in the loop

Clients/Funders

  • Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
  • Digital Futures Lab

Sector

  • AI for Good

Given the rapid growth of generative AI adoption in India, experts across healthcare, agriculture, technology, and policy sectors are increasingly relying on it to address socio-economic challenges. While generative AI holds significant potential, its limitations and risks demand careful attention. Its benefits must not be overstated, nor its challenges overlooked. It is widely recognized that generative AI can replicate and deepen social biases, erode trust in information systems, and threaten livelihoods for many.

As a result, anticipating its consequences becomes imperative—allowing us to build measurable defenses against the harmful effects of artificial intelligence. To forge strong pathways toward safe and sustainable digital futures, foresight methods offer a systemic approach. This project, in collaboration with Digital Futures Lab, aimed to build a collection of stories through an open call.

Our approach comprised four steps:

Horizon Scanning: We scanned media articles and scholarly literature to identify emerging applications of generative AI, their impacts, and pressing political, economic, cultural, and environmental trends that might shape future trajectories.

Expert Consultations: We held a foresight workshop with leading technologists, development experts, and technology policy thinkers, conducting a Consequence Mapping exercise to explore the potential impacts of emerging generative AI applications and related trends.

Public Consultations: We invited the public to imagine generative AI futures in India by sharing stories that reflect their hopes and concerns about current AI trends. The stories explore the potential impacts of generative AI across diverse domains ranging from efficiency-driven applications in healthcare and agriculture to the environmental costs of unchecked AI development. They served as mirrors to understand how people perceive its immediate effects and shifts shaping our collective human agency, relationships, and social norms.

Co-Creation with Artists and Storytellers: We collaborated with artists and storytellers to transform future scenarios, shaped by expert input and public submissions, into powerful narratives that reflect the everyday impact of generative AI on people's lives.

Human in the Loop is in strategic preparation through storytelling. By visualising the unintended consequences of today's innovation, these featured stories become insightful tools for the global design and policy community. These narratives urge us to rethink how AI systems are built and governed. Despite the macro-sized evolutions continuing in the tech world, it is important to create vivid reminders of the micro impacts in everyday life and systems.

Resources