TRADITION GOES HIGH-TECH

Artificial intelligence is bringing alive Kolkata's Durga Puja pandals

- BY PREMA RAJARAM

For many years, Kolkata's Durga Puja pandals have been a theatre for thought. Through the power of art, many pandals offer a unique take on important social issues. This year, for example, the Jagat Mukherjee Park's Durga Puja pandal is themed on a future threatened by the advent of AI. It addresses the fear that AI will take away jobs and poses an important question: is AI a boon or bane? While the pandal depicts AI taking the world by storm 50 years on, Maa Durga emerges triumphant over technology, keeping intact the human connect.

“Human beings are consumed by AI,” said Dwaipayan Roy, general secretary, Jagat Mukherjee Park Durga Puja pandal. “The Gen-Z needs to realise how to use AI and technology responsibly as they can disrupt lives. Yet, if used correctly, it can be a boon.”