Most people here have already tried AI. Far fewer know how to question it, and that gap matters.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing at an unprecedented pace, transforming how we learn, work and communicate. Experts are now even eyeing more advanced versions, Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence, which are said to rival or surpass human capabilities. As AI becomes more powerful, AI literacy is no longer merely a technical skill but an essential life skill.
Northeast India is no exception. Almost everyone in the region seems to have tried AI by now. The MWire Labs Northeast India AI Readiness Survey 2026 found that 95.2% of respondents knew about AI tools, and 94.8% of those who actually used them relied on chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini. A study of 125 college students in the region, by Ankita Choudhury and Saurav Chowdhury, found that 97.6% had used AI.
But using AI is not the same as understanding it. In that student study, attitudes towards AI scored just 2.57 out of 5, a sign of caution that borders on scepticism. Young people are using these tools, yet many remain uneasy about them. AI literacy is not about knowing how to type a question into a chatbot. It means knowing that these tools can be wrong, and can sound completely sure of themselves while they are. It means checking what they tell you, spotting fake news and using them sensibly. Without those habits, easier access to AI will only make people dependent on it.
The good news is that AI can do a lot for the region. Teachers can use it to prepare lessons and question papers, and to teach in more than one language. Farmers can get help with crop monitoring and weather decisions. Small business owners can run their work more smoothly. AI can also help document indigenous languages and preserve the region’s cultural heritage. Beyond that, AI may give people back some time. A senior Meghalaya official I spoke with recently hoped to bring AI into government offices so that staff could finish the same work, to the same standard, in less time and spend more of the day with their families. That is a fair test for any new technology. It should not simply make us work more. It should help us live better.
But the risks are just as real. In cities, students and professionals pick up new technology quickly. In many villages, people still struggle with basic computer skills and a dependable internet connection. Bringing in AI before fixing that will only widen the gap between town and village. Fake videos, cloned voices and online scams made with AI are also getting harder to spot, and people who are new to technology are the easiest targets. In a region where tensions between communities can flare up quickly, a single fabricated video or inflammatory post could do real harm. That makes AI literacy a matter of public safety as much as education.
So, what should be done? Governments, universities and schools need to teach basic digital skills alongside AI, especially in rural and underserved areas. People should learn how to spot a fake video, check a claim before forwarding it and protect themselves from fraud, not just how to use an app. Elsewhere in India, some institutions have made a start. For example, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Kengeri Campus, has begun a programme to train schoolteachers in AI. Teachers who pick up these skills can pass them on to their students, and through them to families and neighbours. Similar efforts across Northeast India would go a long way.
AI is neither friend nor foe. What it becomes depends on how carefully we introduce it and how wisely we use it. The biggest danger for Northeast India is not the technology itself but a society that is not ready for it, one that leaves behind people who still lack basic digital skills. AI will shape our future. The real question is whether everyone gets the chance to understand it first.
Dr. Amos Bortiew
Assistant Professor,
CHRIST
(Deemed to be University)
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