DigiLocker, a government initiative for storing documents and verifying credentials online, is gradually replacing the need for paper.

India is among countries at the highest risk from cyber vulnerabilities caused by a new generation of GenAI technologies.

Jobs specialising in the creation and management of AI tools may witness rising salaries due to the niche expertise they require. Skills in AI research, development and the practical application of AI tools in business settings will also see strong demand.

'By integrating data, research, and new insights, we are designing work environments that foster innovation, collaboration, and wellbeing.'

This year will be the one when GenAI becomes a part of the daily lives of people around the world.

So far, the drones that were considered important for the agriculture sector were nature-made winged-insects - a key component of the bee-based natural pollination cycle. The new-age drone is a whirring machine with rotors that can help farmers plan and grow and manage their crops. For the farm sector in India, which has had low levels of mechanisation, the impact of drones can be tremendous. The use of drones can help it leapfrog to modernisation in the same way that mobile phones helped India overcome its traditional lack of connectivity.

When computing moved to the cloud, it brought a lot of advantages of managing data at scale. Computation of large sets of information sourced from several locations allowed experts to interpret data at scale with flexibility. Artificial intelligence (AI) played a critical role in helping understand patterns which could lead to business insights. In the new scenario, using AI in the cloud is not enough anymore.

The war in Ukraine has made its presence felt at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. As political and business leaders' debate, they remain fearful of Europe's economic future. There is a sense of gloom among many business leaders as energy shortage and economic recession rear their heads. Global investors are keenly assessing the presence of Indian delegation at Davos.

With Western corporations, including Microsoft, AWS and Oracle, shutting down their operations in Russia, the rest of the world has become acutely aware of its dependence on a clutch of technology service providers.

Humans will work far more collaboratively with artificial intelligence for rapid and complex decision-making.

High-level intelligence collection will no longer be the preserve of government agencies alone, says Pranjal Sharma.

Some regulators are already unleashing their own algorithms to track and understand pricing software of e-commerce companies. While companies collude on pricing, governments are collaborating on curbing online malpractices. The legal liability of an algorithmic decision will be interpreted as legal liability of an entity of an individual. Anti-trust activities of algorithms will not go unchallenged in any economy.

India has to put in place legislation and rules which seek more clarity and transparency from technology companies. Domestic and global companies that use consumer behaviour data to enhance addictive behaviour must be scrutinised and controlled. Currently the intermediary guidelines focus mostly on content management and grievance redressal. However, the underlying software engines that influence online consumer behaviour need oversight, too.

Roads are becoming smarter even if the people driving on it are not. A set of smart technologies is making construction, maintenance, and traffic management much more efficient.

The world wants to halt climate change, but do it without affecting economic growth and consumption. This fundamental contradiction is the key theme at Davos 2020.

Though most of the voice-activated solutions are based in English, work is on to create solutions in Indian languages.

In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, mere tinkering with existing government procedures will not enhance India's economic competitiveness, says Pranjal Sharma.

Physical advisors have been receiving tough competition from algorithm-based investment counselling and robo-advisories.

The Indian Army has an inventory of over 500,000 items. At any time, the army has to be ready to rapidly deploy resources to various locations at short notice. Improved efficiency can occur with automation- and technology-based processes.

The WEF meeting is crucial because of its theme encompassing globalisation at the time of rising nationalism and trade war, and the fourth industrial revolution due to rapid strides being made in robotics and artificial intelligence.