Biswabrata Goswami
Kharagpur, 4 July: Calling on the next generation of engineers and innovators to ensure that artificial intelligence strengthens rather than supplants human agency, noted historian and global academic leader Nicholas Dirks urged graduates of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur to shape technology with ethics, responsibility and interdisciplinary thinking.
Delivering the plenary address at IIT Kharagpur’s 72nd convocation, Dirks, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, said the defining challenge of the AI era was “not simply to build smarter machines, but to build a smarter society.”
Addressing hundreds of graduating students, faculty members and dignitaries, the former Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley reflected on the evolution of higher education, India’s remarkable transformation over the past seven decades, and the responsibilities that accompany technological leadership.
“AI is not inherently good or bad. It is shaped by the values, priorities and decisions of those who design and deploy it,” he said, adding that IIT graduates would be among those directly responsible for developing and governing future AI systems.
He warned that artificial intelligence presents questions that are simultaneously technical, ethical and social. “How do we ensure AI systems are fair, transparent and accountable? How do we preserve human agency and dignity in a world increasingly mediated by algorithms?” he asked.
Dirks cautioned against allowing technology to outpace human judgment. Referring to discussions around autonomous AI systems and recursive self-improvement, he remarked that “humans should never be taken out of the loop,” stressing that technology must always remain accountable to society.
Drawing from his long career in higher education, Dirks said universities can no longer limit themselves to preserving knowledge but must constantly reinvent themselves to address humanity’s greatest challenges.
He praised IIT Kharagpur’s growing emphasis on convergence across science, technology and other disciplines, arguing that future breakthroughs would emerge at the intersections of engineering, social sciences, humanities and public policy.
“The problems you face will not come neatly packaged,” he said. “They require you to connect dots that others may not even see.”
He encouraged graduates to continue learning throughout their lives, stressing that success in a rapidly changing world would depend not merely on acquiring knowledge but on the ability to “learn, unlearn and relearn.”
Recalling his first visit to India as a 12-year-old when his family stayed at Madras Christian College near Chennai, Dirks reflected on witnessing the optimism of a newly independent nation.
He noted that he later became deeply connected with India through his academic work on Indian history and through collaborations between American universities and the IIT system.
Describing IIT Kharagpur’s establishment on the site of the former Hijli Detention Camp as a powerful symbol of India’s transformation, he recalled the vision articulated by Jawaharlal Nehru during the institute’s first convocation.
Highlighting India’s achievements since Independence, Dirks pointed to dramatic improvements in economic growth, poverty reduction, literacy, life expectancy and digital connectivity. He observed that India today is home to more than a billion internet users and has emerged as the world’s largest digital society.
“The changes have altered everything—from lifestyles and social mobility to innovation and economic opportunity,” he said.
Dirks urged graduates not to measure success solely by professional achievements or financial rewards.
“You carry with you the privilege of an education inaccessible to most others,” he said. “With that privilege comes an opportunity to contribute, innovate and lead with integrity.”
He encouraged students to embrace failure as an opportunity for growth, continue reading widely despite the distractions of the digital age, question their assumptions and remain open to ideas from diverse disciplines.
At a time when public trust in institutions is increasingly fragile, he said, IIT graduates have a responsibility to ensure that technological innovation advances the public good rather than deepening inequality.
“The future you are entering may be uncertain, but it is also full of possibility,” Dirks concluded. “You are the authors of your next steps.”
