CivicSabha 2.0 - Data & AI for People - Building Human Capital & Inclusive Workforce

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to shape societies and economies, there is a growing recognition that its true impact lies in how it interacts with people—shaping access, opportunity, and participation across diverse communities. Ensuring that AI systems are human-centered, inclusive, and responsive to real-world needs is therefore critical for building equitable and future-ready societies.

The plenary discussion "Data & AI for People – Building Human Capital & Inclusive Workforce", as part of CivicSabha 2.0 hosted by CivicDataLab (CDL), brought together stakeholders from research, policy, development, and civil society to explore how data and AI can enhance human capabilities and drive inclusive development. The session was moderated by Karishma Mehrotra (The Washington Post) and featured speakers including Anoop Sharma (International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)), Chani Raj (GIZ India), Kalika Bali (Microsoft Research India), Nipun Malhotra (Nipman Foundation & The Quantum Hub), and Rebecca Ross (Creative Commons).

Speakers emphasised the need to democratise access to AI resources, strengthen human capital through co-creation, and address structural challenges such as biased datasets and extractive data practices. The plenary highlighted pathways for building participatory, accountable, and contextually relevant AI ecosystems that prioritise equity, inclusion, and human needs.