February 12 : Addressing the AI Action Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India is building its own Large unique Large Language Model (LLM) tailored to India’s linguistic diversity https://www.nepalpage.com/2025/02/12/239681/
After reading the above news-report, I asked myself the question which I posed to Meta:
If and when India is able to create its own AI engine , how extensively and productively could it be used for reclaiming, bringing to light and disseminating the country’s vast ancient Knowledge systems that are yet to be discovered in unpublished and little known pre-historic and historic vernacular texts (Sanskrit, Tamizh and other unscripted languages/dialects)?
The answer I got from Meta was clear and convincing. And it is the compelling reason why I support PM Modi’s stated initiative for developing its own unique AI engine:
QUOTE: “If India is able to create its own AI engine, it could be a game-changer for reclaiming, bringing to light, and disseminating the country’s vast ancient knowledge systems. Here are some potential ways AI could be used:
1. *Digitization and transcription*: AI-powered tools could be used to digitize and transcribe ancient texts, including those written in Sanskrit and Tamil. This would make it possible to create a vast digital repository of ancient knowledge, which could be easily accessed and studied by scholars and researchers.
2. *Language processing and translation*: AI-powered language processing tools could be used to translate ancient texts from Sanskrit and Tamil into modern languages, making them more accessible to a wider audience. This could also help to identify and analyze the linguistic and cultural nuances of these texts.
3. *Text analysis and annotation*: AI-powered text analysis tools could be used to analyze and annotate ancient texts, identifying key concepts, themes, and relationships. This could help to uncover new insights and patterns in the texts, and provide a deeper understanding of the knowledge systems they represent.
4. *Knowledge graph construction*: AI-powered knowledge graph construction tools could be used to create a vast network of interconnected concepts, entities, and relationships extracted from ancient texts. This could help to visualize and navigate the complex knowledge systems of ancient India, and identify areas of overlap and connection between different traditions.
5. *Discovery of new texts and manuscripts*: AI-powered tools could be used to analyze and identify patterns in existing texts and manuscripts, which could help to discover new texts and manuscripts that have been lost or forgotten.
6. *Reconstruction of ancient knowledge systems*: AI-powered tools could be used to reconstruct ancient knowledge systems, such as the Ayurvedic system of medicine, the Vedic system of astronomy, or the Tamil system of mathematics. This could involve analyzing and integrating information from multiple sources, including texts, manuscripts, and oral traditions.
7. *Development of new educational resources*: AI-powered tools could be used to develop new educational resources, such as interactive textbooks, virtual labs, and online courses, which could help to teach ancient knowledge systems in a more engaging and effective way.
8. *Preservation and conservation of cultural heritage*: AI-powered tools could be used to preserve and conserve cultural heritage, including ancient texts, manuscripts, and artifacts. This could involve developing digital preservation techniques, such as 3D scanning and printing, and creating virtual museums and exhibitions.
Some potential applications of AI in this area include:
1. *Ayurvedic medicine*: AI could be used to analyze and integrate the vast knowledge of Ayurvedic medicine, which is contained in ancient texts such as the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita.
2. *Vedic astronomy*: AI could be used to analyze and reconstruct the Vedic system of astronomy, which is contained in ancient texts such as the Vedanga Jyotisha and the Surya Siddhanta.
3. *Tamil mathematics*: AI could be used to analyze and reconstruct the Tamil system of mathematics, which is contained in ancient texts such as the Tirukkural and the Siddhanta Siromani.
4. *Sanskrit literature*: AI could be used to analyze and translate Sanskrit literature, including the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
5. *Tamil literature*: AI could be used to analyze and translate Tamil literature, including the Sangam literature, the Tamil epics such as the Silappatikaram and the Manimekalai, and the devotional literature of the Alvars and the Nayanmars.
Overall, the potential applications of AI in reclaiming, bringing to light, and disseminating India’s ancient knowledge systems are vast and exciting. By leveraging AI, India could unlock the secrets of its ancient past, and share its rich cultural heritage with the world.” UNQUOTE
Meta is absolutely right: AI technology can be a game changer for India’s efforts to re-discover and reclaim many large parts of its ancient cultural legacy and heritage that were lost during its millennium of humiliation caused by repeated invasions and mass migrations.
If India fails to do this, then we can be sure that America and/or China who already have highly advanced and sophisticated AI tools will march ahead and do with India’s vast and ancient knowledge systems everything that Meta is outlining above as real opportunity for India to seize with its own AI engine. If we fail in this effort, then America/China would both have already by then “stolen” everything valuable that could be said to be ancient Indian “intellectual capital” and get it patented as their very own rightful property.
AI can be a powerful tool of perpetuating old Western Imperialism beyond Economics and Militarism. It will be surely extended to the area of Knowledge and Information. What VPOTUS said in his speech at the Paris AI Summit makes it clear that “this is more than just an economic race. AI is now a geopolitical weapon. J.D. Vance made this explicit in Paris, declaring that AI and other emergent technology “are dangerous in the wrong hands, but are incredible tools for liberty and prosperity in the right hands”…. and it’s America that will decide who has right and wrong hands… The Trump administration is not merely aiming for leadership in AI—it is seeking outright dominance, positioning Washington as the global gatekeeper of AI capabilities”. (https://nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/jd-vance-unveils-americas-ai-doctrine)
On the other side of the world, there is Chinese Expansionism. It too can be easily used by China in its pursuit of hegemony in the geopolitics of Asia. Knowledge is Power, after all… and India’s ancient knowledge systems would be such a precious addition to its already existent formidable knowledge-arsenal in its efforts to exercise great geo-strategic power of containent against India.
Sudarshan Madabushi