Bridging the Digital Divide: Ensuring Inclusive AI Governance for Persons with Disabilities
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As India accelerates its AI-driven governance, the lack of disability-inclusive design threatens to marginalize citizens with disabilities, necessitating a shift from mere compliance to proactive accessibility.
The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public service delivery and recruitment processes presents a paradox for India’s digital transformation. While AI holds the potential to foster independence for persons with disabilities through assistive technologies, the current trajectory of AI deployment often overlooks the fundamental requirements of accessibility. Despite the robust legal framework provided by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, digital infrastructure remains largely exclusionary, failing to account for the diverse needs of users with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments.
In the context of e-governance, the 'digital-first' approach often prioritizes efficiency and speed, frequently neglecting the 'Universal Design' principles mandated by law. When AI models are trained on datasets that lack representation from the disability community, the resulting algorithms can perpetuate systemic biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes in automated recruitment or social welfare eligibility assessments. This 'algorithmic exclusion' not only violates the spirit of the RPWD Act but also undermines the constitutional promise of equality and non-discrimination.
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This article was curated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical facts from official sources.