Persons with Disabilities and the Future of AI

Gist The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence AI into governance and services holds immense promise for Persons with Disabilities PwDs , yet it is being built upon an inaccessible digital foundation riddled with algorithmic biases. Furthermore, the massive energy demands of AI data centres threaten grid stability, disproportionately impacting PwDs who rely on continuous power for medical and mobility devices. For a civil services aspirant, this highlights a critical intersection of technology, environment, and social justice: technological advancement must be matched with mandatory accessibility standards and inclusive policymaking to ensure it does not deepen systemic marginalisation. Background Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities RPwD Act, 2016 , digital services were legally mandated to be accessible by 2019 . However, compliance has remained largely superficial across both government and private sectors. The Supreme Court, in the Rajive Raturi judgment , explicitly ruled that accessibility is an integral facet of the fundamental right to life and dignity. The Court criticised existing accessibility guidelines as being mere "polite suggestions" rather than the binding rules intended by the Act, mandating the Centre to…