So, this happened. Sometime in 2020 or 2021, I was working on a few initiatives — programs like Wikimedia Wikimeet, Stay Safe, Stay Connected, and other remote wiki-events and trainings. The core idea behind these was simple: better and more effective use of resources. Too often, we see large-scale in-person events turning into exercises in inefficiency — the same people, repeating the same presentations, with very little new to show. And yet, these events often produce two things: a) a list of checkboxes to be highlighted in annual reports, and b) a massive bill for travel, lodging, and logistics.
What often gets missed is the real output — or the cost of achieving it. So, we tried exploring alternatives. Can things be learned, shared, or built without always needing to fly somewhere or hold a physical event? The answer, we believed, was yes. With tools like Zoom or Google Meet, many of these goals could be met more efficiently. And if someone truly wanted to learn, they didn't need to attend every workshop across cities or continents. Often, what changes year to year is just the calendar date and the event budget — not the content of such programs.
That effort didn't go far. Soon after, another major conference was held in India, costing over a crore — and such high-budget events seem likely to continue. It became clear to me that many inefficiencies are not accidental; they are built into the system. Perhaps they are not meant to be fixed — or maybe they simply can not be. Either way, I stopped worrying about it.
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| Artificial Intelligence is quietly empowering people everywhere. Image creation: Google Gemini |
But let's come to the main part of this post.
Back during those programs, I had an idea. A very small one — to create a kind of mascot for our events. A little cartoon girl, around 7–8 years old, inspired by the Amul Girl. I imagined she could appear on our event pages, maybe in announcements — as a recurring face, adding charm and continuity.
But turning that idea into reality was hard. First, I didn't have the graphic design skills to draw such a character repeatedly. Second, back in 2020, Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Gemini didn't exist. So the only option was to approach a graphic designer.
And that was another challenge. You'd have to find someone, explain the concept, negotiate payment, and then wait. When the first draft came in, it often didn't match the vision. So we'd rebrief, wait again, and sometimes the designer would become unavailable midway. A simple illustration could take weeks.
That's why, when generative AI tools began appearing, I felt genuinely relieved. For the first time, I didn't feel stuck with an idea just because I lacked the resources to execute it. A small change in a prompt, or even a complete revision, no longer meant days of waiting or spending heavily just to test a version. That imaginary mascot — the little cartoon girl — no longer had to be abandoned. I could try it myself, on my own time, without worrying about cost or delays. This was not just a new tool. It was a kind of quiet creative liberation.
And I know I am not the only one. So many people around the world are experiencing the same relief — in coding, design, writing, planning, learning. You no longer need to give up on a project just because the path to doing it is expensive, difficult, or blocked.
Of course, things are not perfect. AI tools make mistakes. They hallucinate, they misread context, they sometimes oversimplify and give wrong answers. But despite that, this is a huge step forward. The internet and access to knowledge were already empowering for common people. Artificial Intelligence is now adding new layers to that. More power to Artificial Intelligence!
[Post script: Some of the opinions or criticism I've seen about Artificial Intelligence tools don't fully match my own views. For example, when people say "AI always agrees with users and doesn't clearly say they're wrong," I think that’s not a flaw — it's a design choice. It’s built that way on purpose. I'll keep exploring Artificial Intelligence on this website.]
See also
- Let Him Be Caesar First — Generative Artificial Intelligence: Adaptability, Acceptance and User Experience, article published in February 2025
This page was last updated on: 18 July 2025
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