New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday issued a blunt warning against growing digital fraud and so-called “digital arrest” scams, pointing out how ordinary people – from senior citizens to families saving for children’s education – are being cheated out of their hard-earned money by cybercriminals.While the Prime Minister warned people to remain vigilant and adhere to official banking procedures, his monthly Mann Ki Baat address highlighted contrasting stories of technology being used in the national interest – showcasing how AI can help India preserve, revive and reimagine its ancient knowledge systems for a global audience.In his monthly radio address, Modi said fraudsters were increasingly targeting innocent citizens.“In Mann Ki Baat, I spoke to you at length about digital arrests… It is inexcusable that such incidents are still happening around us,” he said. “We often learn that seniors are being defrauded of their lifetime earnings.”The Prime Minister warned people against fake calls, messages and links pretending to be official communications. “Someone calls and says, ‘I am a senior army officer. You have to share some details.'” After this, innocent people do it,” he said, stressing that KYC or re-KYC should be done “only through your bank branch, official app and authorized medium”. He urged citizens not to share OTP, Aadhaar number or bank account information, adding, “Most importantly, change passwords from time to time.“Modi also highlighted how India can integrate cutting-edge technology with its civilizational heritage, drawing on demonstrations at the recent Global Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit in Delhi. “Leaders from around the world are amazed at how, with the help of artificial intelligence, we can preserve our ancient texts, our ancient knowledge, our manuscripts and make them relevant for today’s generation,” he said.Modi cited a live demonstration by Sushruta Samhita to explain the multi-step AI process showcased at the summit. “As a first step, we show how, with the help of technology, we can improve the image quality of a manuscript and make it readable,” he said.“In the second step, this image is converted into machine-readable text…the machine-readable text is read by the AI avatar…and…this valuable Indian knowledge can be translated into Indian and foreign languages,” Modi said.The prime minister said global leaders have “showed tremendous interest in understanding India’s ancient knowledge through its modern incarnation”, underscoring India’s growing confidence in integrating advanced artificial intelligence tools with its cultural and intellectual heritage.
