Mind the scale
Sir — Women’s weights have been under watch for too long. Recently, the British advertisement watchdog, Advertising Standards Authority, banned a commercial by the clothing brand, Next, claiming that the model was “unhealthily thin” and that the marketing strategy was irresponsible. The company countered by saying that the proportions of the model had not been tweaked, implying that she was naturally thin. While it is mandatory to monitor whether unhealthy body stereotypes are being promoted, extremely thin people, too, should not be made to feel excluded from this wave of body positivity.
Sumitra Basu,
Siliguri
Future plan
Sir — The visit to Paris by the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit and the India-France CEOs Forum organised on its sidelines gained global attention. The summit underlined the commitment of the two leaders, Modi and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to ensure AI safety (“Time to plan”, Feb 12). Fifty-eight nations participated in the summit. The joint statement by world leaders on an inclusive and sustainable AI model for the people can pave the way for AI accessibility and ensure transparency in deploying this technology.
Modi said that technology has never taken away human jobs and that AI merely changes the nature and the method of performing tasks. Countries must reskill their workforce, making people ready for the AI-driven future.
Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur
Sir — The international AI summit hosted in France was co-chaired by India and was attended by world leaders and technology experts. The rewards and the risks of AI and the ethical, political and economic challenges surrounding the newest technology were discussed. The summit also focused on the usage of AI in everyday life — in education, healthcare and work — and the methods to embrace it safely.
The Chinese company, DeepSeek, has recently freely distributed a human-like reasoning system at a time when countries are trying to take a lead in the global AI race. At the summit, India stressed the importance of equitable access to AI technologies. Our country should ensure that it does not lag behind others in developing usable AI technologies.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — During the AI summit, Narendra Modi rightly opined that the research on AI should be open source based and every country should have free access to the developments. At the same time, it should be free from bias. Machines deliver services based on the data they are fed. If the data are is susceptible to prejudices, the output from AI will not be any different. Instead of viewing AI as a major disrupter of the status quo, it should be made an instrument for the progress of humanity.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao,
Andhra Pradesh
Sir — The idea of an Indo-French strategic partnership should not be limited to security affairs. Both India and France possess strong assets in terms of data, technology and human resources. They also share a common vision of developing secure and transparent AI tools. AI tools created for the masses cannot compromise on privacy. This summit will surely create a clearer path for the global future of AI.
Bal Govind,
Noida
Tough stance
Sir — For generations, many Indians have been attracted to the prospect of leading a better and more comfortable life in Western countries. The desire to settle in Canada or the United States of America is not new (“UK swoop on illegals at Indian eateries”, Feb 12). In the pursuit of this dream, many pay a steep price as they become vulnerable to exploitative agents who use illegal methods to take migrants on perilous routes to these countries. Only upon reaching the ‘promised land’ do many realise the extent of these scams. While countries are within their rights to deport illegal immigrants, it is equally important to crack down on these agents who dupe hapless people.
Abhishek Tiwari,
Jaipur
Sir — The Labour government in the United Kingdom has launched a large-scale crackdown on illegal employment of immigrants. Dubbed a “UK-wide blitz”, the campaign has targeted businesses that employ undocumented migrant workers, including from India. Under the supervision of the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, raids on 828 premises were conducted in January — marking a 48% increase from the previous year. With the rapid rise of the party, Reform UK, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, is under pressure to demonstrate a tough stance on illegal immigration. His government is now using chartered flights to deport immigration offenders to various countries. India must use this opportunity for a peaceful reconciliation. The external affairs ministry should take up the matter with the UK authorities to ensure that Indian migrants are not unnecessarily harassed.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
