Jammu Tawi, Sep 22: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday urged the youth to dream big and dedicate their lives to serving society and the nation, saying they are the first generation growing up with artificial intelligence (AI) as a companion and have the responsibility of shaping a future where humanity flourishes.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a series of new facilities at the University of Jammu, the Lieutenant Governor said powerful tools in honest hands can achieve great work, but in the wrong hands, the same tools can cause serious harm.
“In the age of AI, modern tools and machines have become more powerful than ever, and so the hands that wield them must possess greater steadiness, values, Sanskar and wisdom,” he said.
Sinha raised the question of what it means to be educated in the age of AI and highlighted global concerns over the technology’s rapidly expanding capabilities. He said AI is a “quadruple-use” technology capable of producing both beneficial and harmful outcomes.
Stressing that technology must remain a servant of humanity, he said decisions affecting human dignity, livelihood, health and freedom must always be made by accountable human beings rather than machines.
“The day technology becomes the master of humanity, our very existence will be at risk. Machines can calculate, but they cannot feel. Machines can predict, but they cannot bear responsibility for decisions,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor outlined five key challenges for higher education, stressing the need for relevant curricula that can adapt rapidly to technological change. He called for moving away from rote learning and placing greater emphasis on application, curiosity, reasoning and original thinking. He also cautioned that technology should not widen the gap between rural and urban learners.
“It is true that no technology can replace a teacher. But it is equally true that technology will certainly change the teacher’s role,” Sinha said, adding that teachers of the future would have to be mentors, guides and inspiring personalities who ignite curiosity and build character.
He shared six guiding messages with students and teachers: embrace lifelong learning, cultivate creativity and empathy, build bridges across disciplines, contribute to national development, balance academics with sports, and remain rooted in traditions and values.
Earlier, Sinha inaugurated a modern sports complex, shooting range, high-mast lights for the cricket stadium and the Tawi Guest House complex, developed at a cost of nearly Rs 10 crore.
He said the facilities would strengthen the university’s role as a hub of excellence while emphasising that the true transformation of an institution lies in the values, ideas and innovations nurtured within its walls.