Poor substitute
Sir — Having a friend who not only gives undivided attention but also offers non-judgemental and objective opinions is always a blessing. But Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief, recently articulated that Artificial Intelligence can fill the gap for some people wanting to have a real, meaningful friendship. Unlike human friends, ‘AI friends’ like ChatGPT are readily available and always at our beck and call. The tendency to turn to AI for confiding or asking for its opinions on the simplest of decision-making tasks is thus understandable. But since AI cannot feel, such ‘friendships’ will be fake and empty. A human friend, on the other hand, will offer his or her opinion, factoring in one’s personal choices and experience. AI is thus a poor substitute for real friends.
Gaurav Gupta,
Noida
Big bully
Sir — Donald Trump, the president of the United States of America, is demonstrating his ‘big bad bully’ persona by first deploying the National Guard and then the US Marines to tackle the protesters in Los Angeles who are protesting against the aggressive implementation of the president’s immigration policy. The protests are slowly expanding to other cities in the US (“Fire of LA protests spreads across US”, June 12). Trump’s crackdown on the ongoing protests is in stark contrast to the time when riots had engulfed the Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. As the then outgoing president, he did not deploy the National Guard and allowed free rein to the rioters who ran amok in Washington.
S. Kamat,
Mysuru
Sir — The current situation in Los Angeles and other places in the US can be compared to the volatile conditions witnessed in developing countries experiencing mass unrest (“Discontent in Trumpland”, June 14). Donald Trump’s policy to weed out illegal immigrants has led to widespread dissent across the US. The narrow-minded, conservatives rulers of the US with their White-supremacist agendas will have great consequences for America and the world.
Fateh Najamuddin,
Lucknow
Sir — Donald Trump’s antagonism towards immigrants has resulted in the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, which have led to demonstrations across the US. His stance on immigration is not tempered by mercy or informed by the understanding that America could not have become the country it is today without the hard work of immigrants.
In deploying the National Guard and the Marines to handle the anti-raid protesters who are holding peaceful demonstrations, Trump has overreacted and led to more protests. He cannot undervalue the important role immigrants play in the US’s economic growth. He must adopt a more accommodating approach to immigration to defuse the situation.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — The crackdown on those protesting the ICE raids has deepened the rift in America. Deploying the National Guard and the Marines for a domestic protest raises serious questions about presidential overreach. The Donald Trump-led administration’s stance goes beyond targeting undocumented migrants, laying bare its hostility to immigration as a whole.
Immigrants helped build America. They contribute 17% to the country’s GDP. While China grapples with a shrinking workforce and closed borders, the US thrives by attracting global talent. If Trump truly wants to “Make America Great Again”, he must realise this basic truth.
N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bengaluru
Real crisis
Sir — The United Nations Population Fund’s State of World Population 2025 calls for a shift from panic over falling fertility rates to addressing the widespread challenges to supporting an individual’s right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children she wants to have.
In India, for instance, women still face significant barriers to making free and informed decisions about their reproductive lives and significant disparities in fertility rates persist across states. These barriers create what the report identifies as India’s “high fertility and low fertility duality”.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Sir — Concerns over overpopulation have long dominated policymaking in India. Population stabilisation and its eventual decline must be viewed through a different lens. The projected peak of 170 crore in the next four decades indicates a crucial window for India to reap the demographic dividend. However, with declining fertility rates come the risks of an ageing population, a shrinking workforce, and growing healthcare burdens. Let this demographic shift be a catalyst for smarter and more inclusive policymaking.
S.S. Paul,
Nadia
Curse broken
Sir — South Africa must be congratulated for their five-wicket victory over Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship (“Chokers. Champions”, June 15). This is their first International Cricket Council title since 1998. A.K. Markram must be saluted for steering the Proteas amidst pressure. Australia was on a strong wicket initially having a competitive score of 282. But they failed to make use of the opportunity and surrendered to the Proteas’s resilience.
Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly
Sir — Temba Bavuma captained South Africa to a historic victory. Scoring 286, the Proteas achieved the second-highest successful run chase at Lord’s. Kagiso Rabada’s nine-wicket haul and A.K. Markram’s century were crucial. In 2014, Markram had lifted the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup with a team that included Rabada. The pair orchestrated a repeat of their brilliance at Lord’s. With this win, the Proteas have finally shed the ‘chokers’ tag.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad
