Words of the future

In the fast-paced world that we live in, newer words have been becoming a part of our vocabulary.

IN THE FAST-PACED world that we live in, newer words have been becoming a part of our vocabulary. How many of us used words like pandemic, quarantine, or AI in regular parlance up until a few years ago? With climate change becoming a reality, the United Nations Foundation and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) have released a new dictionary called 'India in Future Tense: 47 Words for 2047'. The dictionary looks at the environmental, tech, and societal challenges that the world is facing, and has terminology that will describe our evolving world going ahead. Here is a sample:

1. AI governance Definition: AI governance refers to policies, processes, and national and global guiding frameworks that steer the use of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to safeguard and regulate their design and deployment. Relevance for future India: AI is rapidly gaining prominence but currently has little mention in governance frameworks.

India, during its presidency in the G20, agreed on the need to "pursue a pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach that maximises the benefits and takes into account the risks associated with the use of Al." Moving forward, it's essential to maintain this momentum to close the gap between innovation and policy.

2. Carbon handprint Definition: The carbon handprint refers to the beneficial environmental impact achieved by an individual, organisation, product, or activity compared to a baseline. This impact is achieved through actions that either lower carbon emissions or boost carbon capture.