#ai and conflict

[indiaandforeignaid]

Tech Diplomacy and Strategic Importance of India’s Technological Aid in Asia

In the dynamic landscape of international relations, technology has become an increasingly critical pillar, shaping how nations interact, compete, and collaborate. This fusion of diplomacy and technology, often referred to as tech diplomacy, is redefining the traditional understanding of soft power. For India, a nation on the road to becoming a global technological powerhouse, tech diplomacy has emerged as a potent tool to forge deeper ties across Asia and beyond. India’s technological prowess is steadily gaining global recognition, with its homegrown tech industry playing a pivotal role in driving innovation and economic growth. In Asia and India’s strategic use of technological aid is reshaping alliances and providing the nation with significant diplomatic leverage.

India’s technological advancements, particularly in sectors such as information technology, telecommunications, and space technology, have become instrumental in building partnerships with other Asian countries. Indian tech companies, government-backed initiatives, and international collaborations have positioned India as an important player in the region’s tech ecosystem. But beyond economic partnerships, India’s tech diplomacy involves offering technological assistance, resources, and expertise to its neighbors, which helps foster diplomatic goodwill and strengthens strategic alliances. This approach not only highlights India’s on going leadership in the digital space but also allows it to offer an alternative to the growing influence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

A recent and notable example of India’s tech diplomacy is its collaboration with Bhutan in the field of space technology. In 2020, the two countries launched the Bhutan-1 satellite, a collaboration facilitated by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). India provided crucial technical training and support, helping Bhutan launch its first satellite into space. This initiative is not only a reflection of India’s growing space capabilities but also an effort to nurture ties with its neighbors through knowledge sharing and capacity-building. By providing Bhutan with the tools to develop its satellite technology, India helped a smaller nation access space, something previously considered impossible for Bhutan. It also strengthened bilateral relations, positioning India as a friend that enables progress rather than as a domineering power.

India's partnership with ASEAN countries in digital connectivity and cybersecurity is another testament to the country's strategic technological aid. Through initiatives such as the India-ASEAN ICT Fund and other capacity-building projects, India has been instrumental in enhancing digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia. India’s role in assisting ASEAN nations to improve cybersecurity frameworks and build stronger digital economies plays a vital role in ensuring regional stability. In addition, India’s focus on providing affordable, scalable technology solutions such as low-cost telemedicine platforms demonstrates how tech diplomacy can address real-world challenges like healthcare access, especially in developing regions.

In Afghanistan, India’s tech diplomacy has been manifested through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program. India helped build critical IT infrastructure in the country and trained Afghan professionals in various technical skills. Even as Afghanistan faces political instability, India’s technological investments have created long-lasting goodwill and a stable foundation for potential future cooperation. Through projects like these, India contributes to the socioeconomic development of war-torn regions, positioning itself as a stabilizing force while simultaneously advancing its own geopolitical interests.

India’s strategic investments in technology throughout Asia are not simply altruistic. They serve the dual purpose of fostering development and promoting India’s national interests. In a region where geopolitical tensions often run high particularly with China's growing influence, India’s tech diplomacy offers an appealing alternative for Asian countries seeking to diversify their technological partnerships. Another example, India’s strong presence in space technology and digital innovation counters China’s dominance in infrastructure through the BRI. While China focuses on physical connectivity, India emphasizes digital connectivity, providing an inclusive, tech driven pathway for economic and social development in the region. This approach aligns with India’s goal of becoming the leading digital partner of choice in Asia, while also mitigating its traditional security concerns regarding Chinese expansion.

Moreover, as the global competition for technological supremacy intensifies, India’s strategic use of tech diplomacy can be seen as a direct response to China’s expanding digital footprint in Asia which many scholars and academicians call neo-colonialism. By exporting its technological expertise, India creates opportunities to influence policies, shape digital governance norms, and ensure that democratic values are embedded in the region’s growing tech landscape.

India's private sector is an integral part of its tech diplomacy efforts. Companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, and Wipro are involved in developing technological solutions for several Asian countries. For example, TCS has played a crucial role in modernizing Malaysia’s e-governance systems, improving digital access, and supporting various national digital infrastructure projects. The involvement of private enterprises helps India enhance its image as a reliable partner in tech-driven growth. It also allows India to complement its diplomatic initiatives with tangible results on the ground, where partnerships go beyond the public sector to include innovation-driven private collaborations.

In today’s geopolitical climate, tech diplomacy is no longer a niche field but in fact is central to how nations interact. India’s tech diplomacy, particularly in Asia, offers a compelling alternative to authoritarian models of digital governance. India’s promotion of open, inclusive, and democratic tech ecosystems positions it as a counterbalance to more centralized, restrictive models. To maintain its strategic edge, India must continue investing in technological infrastructure, expanding collaborations across Asia in emerging areas like AI, quantum computing, and 5G. These efforts will help India shape the region's digital future while ensuring that its technological aid is sustainable and builds local capacities. 

India’s growing role in tech diplomacy reflects its evolving influence on the global stage. By fostering cooperation through digital innovation, space technology, and IT education, India is redefining relationships across Asia. Its focus on inclusivity and democratic values offers an alternative model of technological growth. In this era, tech diplomacy is about more than providing aid—it’s about shaping the future. India’s leadership in this space will be crucial in ensuring prosperity and stability for the region.

[little-mari-on-a-roof]

the problem with being obsessed with your blorbos is that you'll start making every song you listen to about them. and then you'll just be listening to music and start crying because they remind you of all your blorbos 😔

[iwoulddieforienzo]

Something really great about the persona 2 cast is that they all individually fucking SUCK to talk to casually. Every single one of them. They are all infuriating. We have:

Tatsuya, who will stare at you blankly if you try to initiate conversation (IS) and will dip without saying a word afterward (EP)

Batsuya, who will scoff and brush you off/otherwise act dismissive

Eikichi, who might honestly be the best to talk to in the IS crew and that is not saying much, who WILL talk extremely loudly over you (probably not on purpose?) and will not be paying particularly close attention to the conversation beyond whatever he wants to say (gets points for talking about his gf. gets points taken away for constantly talking about his gf)

Lisa, who will automatically assume bad faith and will be rude to you the entire conversation unless you manage to defuse her temper (good luck)

Jun, who is uncommunicative at BEST and requires an encyclopedic knowledge of flowers, metaphor and body language just to get a HINT on what he’s thinking, and who will be extremely polite but completely unhelpful. If you tried asking him what he wants for dinner I guarantee it will be the longest 30 minutes of your life as he goes “oh I have no opinion :) whatever you want. :))” EXCEPT HE DOES HAVE OPINIONS. He has SO MANY OPINIONS. He is Expecting you to be able to pick up on his “obvious” clues. He will be passive aggressive if you don’t. (Jun babygirl you suck so bad I love u)

Maya, who is a delight but will very quickly become grating if you try to talk to her about anything serious as she hits you with the white suburban mom's "how to live a happy, healthy life" lifecoach slogans. You can’t even mention, like, stepping in a puddle or something without her hitting you with the positivity beam.

Yukino is great actually. 10/10. She’s fabulous we love her. Incredible conversationalist, chill and fun and easy to get along with. But she’s from Persona One, she doesn’t Count.

Ulala, who WILL bring up her relationship problems in every conversation within 10 minutes at least once. Any longer and she will start talking about Maya.

Do I even need to explain Baofu. Have you seen him.

And finally, Katsuya, who is a cop and a kiss ass and Very Obvious about these things. Also he can't talk to women. He can barely talk to men. Help Him.

And yet they all work wonderfully as a group. They are so annoying I love them

[casualavocados]

I'll let you go after I'm through. Don't go too far. …Why did you do it? I don't know what you're talking about.

KISEKI: DEAR TO ME Ep. 9

[carlyraejepsans]

HELPP i found out about character AIs and im losing it over calling deltarune sans "a more manipulative personality" 😭😭 like whatt we've only seen this man like 2 times

sorry im being a hater hgfjdks but you're the sans understander

lmaoo character.ai, look where the fall of ai dungeon got us, smh. thank you for the compliment though!

[aytonai]

The Battle for Babel

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

"But Hamas is using the civilians as human shields!" They've been doing that for nearly 20 years now. The solution is to plan around that, not just shrug and plow right through because it's easier to fire a missile and write it off as a "tragic accident" than it is to give a damn about the people trapped in the crossfire.

[3v3rl4stingbr4in]

// Biting as a form for love and affection.

Just a quick something I wanted to doodle because ideas.

He tends to bite to show his way of love, although she'll do it to the point there you can only see teeth mark or there's blood but it won't come out that much. There are times that it won't be a teeth mark, the person she bites can be left with something else.

Also I'll call my MC Liilawadii. (he/she) For now.

[news4dzhozhar]

[miyrumiyru]

𖤓 ʚїɞ ☼ ʚїɞ

[aromacaque]

you want to analyze a cartoon that is something children can watch? ok here's the first and most important lesson ever.

have you ever heard of "suspension of disbelief?"

ok. next step. do you know what an unreliable narrator is and can you separate the character's perspective and opinions from the writers? because i promise you that the beliefs of the main character do not always reflect the writers and the point of analyzing media is to dissect that.

[gojoest]

oh i accidentally agreed to go on a date tomorrow 😭

[capybaracorn]

Ethnic cleansing in Palestine redux

Palestinians recall the Nakba in 1948 and warn that Israel’s war in Gaza today amounts to a second Nakba.

(20th of May 2024)

History Illustrated is a weekly series of insightful perspectives that puts news events and current affairs into historical context using graphics generated with artificial intelligence.

Generations of Palestinians who grew up hearing the horror stories of the 1948 ethnic cleansing, known as the Nakba, today consider Israel's war on Gaza a second Nakba.

Nakba means catastrophe in Arabic and refers to how Zionist militias, shortly after World War II, displaced about 750,000 Palestinians from their homes to establish the state of Israel.

In late 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.

Arabs rejected the UN’s partition plan as a theft of Palestinian land by Zionists, in collusion with the UK — the region’s colonial power — and warned of the coming devastation. (It didn’t take long for the killing to start.)

On March 10, 1948, the Zionist Haganah paramilitary group adopted Plan Dalet, which laid out a strategy to ethnically cleanse Palestine.

A month later, in the village of Deir Yassin, Zionist militias killed more than 100 men, women and children — one of several massacres that served to terrorise Palestinians.

Today, some members of the Israeli parliament, like Ariel Kallner of the Likud party, have called for more ethnic cleansing. “Right now, one goal: Nakba, a Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of ’48,” Kallner said.

The numbers suggest Kallner is getting his wish. The UN says the Israeli military has damaged or destroyed more than 70 percent of all housing in Gaza, displacing more than 1.5 million people.

Back in October, Ahmed al-Saadi and his family took refuge in a UN school that the Israeli military subsequently bombed. “Where can an entire population seek safety,” asked the resident of Gaza. Seven months later, with the Israeli army threatening to lay waste to Rafah, people’s lives are now much worse ... with the Nakba of 1948 looking like it was just the beginning.

[fortunaestalta]

[pickletrip]

Everyone wants answers but no one is willing to talk and communicate in a way that brings about a resolution. They really need to sit down and talk but Ai Di is convinced that Chen Yi hates him for what happened that night. And Chen Yi wants clarity - is it about the sex, Ai Di leaving the gang, and/or Ai Di going to jail?

[spotaus]

Thinking about Orchid and her connection to my take on Gender (because this was meant to be about her and the Crew but it just devolved into a character analysis kinda??? More trauma-dumping maybe???) This is very much an oc/personal rant so feel free to ignore it 🫡

So, Orchid started off as a character I didn't really think much of (hear me out this is going to be relevant) because I wanted to add a 'girl' character but didn't know what to *do* with her, y'know? She was always going to be the strongest one there, she had the odds stacked in her favor with her parents. She was always going to be the gloomy side-character to match Reset's energy. But I think she's gone through every stage of Generic Woman I could possibly find.

At first she was angry and abrasive (think Fell!Sans) where every other word was a curse and she was likely to throw the first punch then laugh as she kicks her enemy while they're down. This was when Reset was a cartoonishly self-centered villain whose goal was simply to prove others wrong. Then Orchid became a sort of sisterly figure. This was short-lived, but she was the one comforting people who Reset would torment, but would ultimately follow his orders, because at this point he was actually a danger and sadistic. And then there was the phase where the story mellowed out and she became the token Goth Girl who, yes she was strong, but was heavy on the 'whatever' energy. Then there was her Era of deep self-loathing and anxiety about her worth that held her back and made her a much more timid and meek character who would only lash out on occasion.

Now, Orchid is the best of those iterations I've written yet. She's calm, level-headed, and a natural leader. Her father raised those traits into her. But she's very reactive, and can be silly, and when she's comfortable it's likely that air of importance transforms into something more comfortable and familiar. She laughs loudly and grins wide, she likes loud video-games but loves to read in the quiet. She's extremely disciplined, and normally no one can get through her tough exterior besides her best friend, Reset. She does what she does for her own enjoyment, sure, but she's thought of every angle and makes her choice to help Reset and control the others with her whole chest. She still worries she won't live up to her invisible expectations, and that and her loyalty are her two driving forces.

I know that Orchid is important to me because she's the longest-running female oc I've had. I have a rough relationship with womanhood/girlhood and I know looking back that Orchid recieved every ounce of my distaste for being a woman that I could shovel into her. That never made her less of a character, she was actually always one of my favorites, and rarely was she a 'punching bag oc'. I just... projected onto her a lot. And she's a good sign of how I've learned who I am. I've decided that my own femininity is something I could live without. I'd rather not associate myself with it, and I'd like to leave it in my past, focusing on a future where I'm not tied down with any gender roles or expectations. That won't happen, but I've come to terms with it myself. Orchid though? I figured out through her that I don't have to hate women characters. My own distaste for my circumstances doesn't mean I have to push it onto my characters (on God I've never expressed anything rude to actual people, that'd be rude as hell and uncalled for, but I have a bad habit of disliking fictional women in media). So, Orchid is a well-roubded character finally. She has motivations abd goals and a *lot* more depth than I ever expected her to. She's happy with being a woman, she's content. She's not treated differently for it in unfair ways by those she cares about, so she doesn't mind it. She likes to wear pretty outfits and lets Reset add bows to her ribbons. She doesn't let being a woman hold her back in the slightest.

So, yeah. Orchid is one of my babies. If I ever leave this Fandom behind for good, she's one that's coming with (Ichor, Orchid, and Pretender all have human designs I can use elsewhere lol-) but in the meantime I'll just rotate her around in my brain for a while longer.

If I'm right, she's been with me for nearly 5-6 years and I went through a *lot* with her as an outlet. So, she's kinda just like an old stuffed animal. A lil ripped, matted fur, maybe a stain or two, but there's a story there and that makes it important beyond belief.