AI’s power imbalance: Nandan Nilekani says India must build for scale, not chase global supremacy

Artificial intelligence will concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few, but that should not deter us from using it for good, said Infosys co-founder and non-executive chairman Nandan Nilekani. Speaking at an Asia Society event, Nilekani emphasised the need to harness AI to solve large-scale societal challenges.

"Obviously, there is going to be a concentration of wealth and power with AI... we can't fight that. Forces at play are much bigger than any of us. But in our zone of influence, we have to do what we can to create a different paradigm," he said.

Nilekani, who played a pivotal role in building Aadhar and the UPI platform, stressed that AI in India should focus on improving lives — be it through language learning, healthcare or education. While global powers invest heavily in cutting-edge AI, Nilekani advocated for a more grounded approach: applying technology to real-world issues rather than chasing global dominance.

He also expressed skepticism about the concept of universal basic income (UBI), which some believe will be necessary as AI displaces jobs. "I don't agree with the vision that these guys are propounding... that is a dystopian idea," he said, pushing instead for AI to "amplify the human potential."

India's advantage, Nilekani said, lies in building high-quality, citizen-focused services using AI — without losing sight of the country's economic realities. He cited how frugal design enabled platforms like UPI to operate at near-zero cost, something unmatched globally. “You have to innovate to keep ahead. Otherwise, you will have negative risk-to-rewards and revolutions and so on,” he said.

Reflecting on Aadhar and UPI, Nilekani pointed out that simplicity in design was key. “The document explaining the payments platform created by Dilip Asbe and Pramod Verma was just one page long,” he recalled.