Today’s era is of Artificial Intelligence (AI). From smartphones to everyday tasks, everyone is using AI. But in this entire system, we have remained just ordinary Users, while its Creators are very few. Born in a border village of Ferozepur district and AI expert Dr. Sandeep Singh Sandha has taken the initiative to change this thinking. He, leaving the spectacular life of America, is providing free AI education to school children in the villages of Punjab.
The journey from village to IIT and UCLA
Dr. Sandeep Singh Sandha tells that he started studying B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT in the year 2010. At that time, computers were seen very rarely in villages and there used to be a kind of fear in the mind. But curiosity took him towards this field. After B.Tech, he worked in Oracle and IBM Research in India. Around the year 2014, when modern AI was taking root in the whole world, he completed his PHD from America’s number one public university ‘UCLA’ to learn with more depth.
The decision to leave America and return to the village
Dr. Sandha tells that in America, due to excellent research works, he got a Green Card under the ‘EB-1A’ category, which is given only to top experts. After living in America for about 10 years, leading teams of big companies and working on big projects, he made up his mind to return to Punjab. He says when you have high-level skills, then it does not matter where you are sitting. The internet has ended the dependence on location. Even today, he works as an AI consultant for American companies, but lives in his village.
Education as labor and dasvandh
Dr. Sandha clarifies about his earnings and service that from Monday to Friday, he works on building AI systems and research for American companies. He says, “We have not left our labor, but rising above that labor, we give our time as dasvandh [tithe] for public welfare.” That is why he does not feel any need to earn money by selling education. According to him, education is an invaluable thing, on which the stamp of money cannot be put, and when it is distributed as selfless service, its scope increases automatically.
Free education started from the courtyard
After coming to the village, Dr. Sandeep saw that there is a great lack of technical education in the schools of the border areas. After finishing office work in the evening, he started teaching 3-4 children of the village as a hobby. Gradually the number increased so much that the entire courtyard of his house started filling with children. Seeing the consumption of time due to the coming of children from far-flung villages, he made this work online. Today, thousands of students from more than 500 schools and major universities of Punjab are connected with it through the ‘Punjab AI Excellence Program’.
Mobile-based syllabus in Punjabi
The experience of running AI programs in more than 100 schools in California came in very handy for Dr. Sandha. The ground reality in Punjab was that more than 70% of the children did not have laptops or computers and the English language was a big obstacle. Therefore, he prepared the entire syllabus in simple Punjabi language so that children could do coding and build AI models through mobile phones. This course is absolutely free for the children of government schools, SGPC and Akal Academies. Children of private schools unable to pay fees are also taught for free.
Only the children of the villages will find the solutions for the villages
Dr. Sandha tells that the children of eighth-ninth class are now making AI apps themselves. They have made such models which identify cows and buffaloes and detect crop diseases. According to Dr. Sandha, multi-national companies do not realize the needs of villages and farmers. When the children of farmers become technologically capable, then they will find the solutions to their problems themselves. Our motive is not just to make children job seekers, but to make them problem-solving leaders.
Data privacy and AI’s mistakes
Regarding the privacy of users, Dr. Sandha tells that when we use free apps, then our data itself is the product. Companies influence our thinking by knowing our age, likes and habits. He warns that AI is not any magic, but it learns only from the data of humans. If the data is wrong, then AI will also make mistakes. Therefore, until our people become the creators of AI, till then they will not be able to protect their emotions and rights.
Future challenges
Talking about the fear of losing jobs due to AI, he tells that just as once bullock-carts were replaced by trucks and trains, in the same way, change in traditional works is inevitable. In the future, a single person will be able to keep information of many fields with the help of AI. He clarified that in the coming times, the strength of countries will depend on this fact that where they stand in the race of AI. India, instead of just becoming a consumer market, will have to strengthen its research and technological foundation.
Way to connect
Along with this, anyone desirous of learning can watch free recorded lectures by searching ‘Punjab AI Excellence’ or ‘Dr. Sandeep Singh Sandha’ on YouTube. Apart from this, to join in live batches through Google Meet, registration can be done by filling an online form. Dr. Sandeep Singh Sandha’s dream is that the youth of Punjab should not remain behind in this new revolution of technology, but sitting in their villages, they should be able to lead at the global level.
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