Opinion: Of resurgence and resilience
As humanity, we need to take a moment to assess our priorities to make the right choices
By Viiveck Verma
The year 2023 was the first year, where humankind safely and fully transitioned into the post-pandemic world. While strains of Covid-19 continue to be around, human society has been able to find its way out of the darkest hours of the predicament and deal with the virus. Things returned to normal this year and yet, new upheavals took place in the political, economic and social realms. Therefore, 2023 appears to me as a deeply meaningful year in human history, where we resurged from an unprecedented setback and persevered in the face of countless new challenges. It was the year that told us that no achievement is final and it is the willingness for continuous betterment that makes all the difference.
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Bouncing Back
This was a momentous year for India on the whole. The economy impressively bounced back from the pandemic-induced slump and the infusion of technology brought us many milestones, an example being India leading in terms of digital payments. India also assumed the G-20 presidency, bringing together the most powerful players in the world. The stellar success of Chandrayaan-3 brought us tremendous pride and glory. Very importantly, not only was this a powerful advance in humankind’s space exploration quests, but also an event that brought the country together and saw extraordinary participation by women scientists. Films from India were honoured internationally, including at the Academy Awards and our sportspeople earned numerous accolades. On the whole, Indians strode into spectacular success in all domains and painted a heartening picture of our location and relevance in the 21st century.
The entrepreneurial world in the country, significantly, truly embodied the spirit of solving old problems and fighting new issues. Global venture funding declined to a low this year and yet entrepreneurship only grew across multiple sectors. With more incubators, more education, the accessibility of venture capital, talented and enterprising individuals have taken a leap of faith, and their synergy has rejuvenated the startup ecosystem, from healthcare to fintech. Furthermore, the prevalence of cloud infrastructure, remote working, co-working spaces and the gig economy has provided a rare but bountiful flexibility to entrepreneurial activity in India. This should give us reasons to be hopeful for the future.
AI all over
One of the biggest conversation starters this year was the extraordinary surge in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). GenAI dominated areas from the creation of reports and multimedia content for work to giving interpretations of the issues of the day — a phenomenon which was as unbelievable and intriguing as it gets but also widespread.
Consequently, from anxiety regarding how AI might replace human labour, the conversation now seems to have shifted to how AI can radically alter the ways in which we live and work and think of novel ways to exist with it. While AI is here to stay and has been a boon for productivity, the long-term impact of the co-existence of human intelligence and artificial intelligence remains to be seen.
However, human society at large has concerns to assess. The year 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded and scientists have repeatedly flagged the disparity between scientific findings and political proactiveness regarding climate change. With many reports noting the acceleration of global warming, as a race, we need to act sooner than ever. Advocacy, activism and scientific advisories continue and must continue in this regard. This was also a year that saw endless turmoil and violence in several parts of the world and urged us to think of better political collaboration to prevent humanitarian crises. As these challenges continue, the parties that want to instil peace in the world soldier on. The discourse around mental health was more frequent and fervent this year with differences of opinion co-existing with advancement in mental healthcare.
Responsible Humanity
However, as humanity, we need to take a moment to assess our priorities. We can no longer delay climate action and not adopt environment-friendly practices. Even as we depend upon governments for political action, we must make our work and ways of life oriented to the aim of environmental conservation. Similarly, we cannot afford to have wars in this age that precariously deepen the humanitarian problems the world is mired in, necessitating better diplomacy and international relations but also a more empathetic and politically responsible human society. As individuals, we must pledge to create more awareness regarding mental health and end the stigma around diseases in general. The post-pandemic world where we have emerged from a dismal time where all we had was each other and this planet should enable us to rise above segregation, divisions and parochialisms.
On a more personal level, we need to reflect on the year and think of what we learned and observed. After all, every year adds to and alters the collective narrative of the society we inhabit and the world at large. Sociopolitical transformations, technological developments, cultural shifts and global phenomena end up defining the trajectories of human history. From elections that create governments and policy developments to scientific breakthroughs and cultural movements, every year leaves a significant mark on the tapestry of time, shaping the world we inhabit and influencing the lives of future generations. We must not, therefore, take the experience of having lived through 2023 for granted and think of the ways in which we can do better at everything with the knowledge we have acquired. Each year is a chapter in the story of the lives we live and acknowledging this fact encourages us to empower ourselves with experience and put learning into practice.
Therefore, as we move forward into the new year, the lessons learned from last year must serve as an irreplaceable guide. 2023 tells us that even as the pandemic is over, the spirit of collaboration, everyday adaptability and empathy remain essential and central in navigating continuously uncertain times. While tremendous challenges persist, the collective efforts toward empowering change and the resilience therein demonstrate the irrepressible and indomitable spirit of humanity to overcome adversities and strive for a glorious future. May humanity make the right choices in 2024, leaving our planet healthier and our world more peaceful and prosperous than ever!
