AI challenges traditional notions of literacy: HUL Chairman

For centuries, the ability to read and write has been the non-negotiable gateway to knowledge, opportunity, and meaningful participation in society. It has been the bedrock of progress, the foundation upon which economies and civilisations have been built. However, according to Nitin Paranjpe, Chairman of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), this century-old assumption is being rapidly overturned by the rise of artificial intelligence. Speaking at the 44th Palkhivala Memorial Lecture in Chennai, Paranjpe declared that AI is driving a "silent revolution" that is fundamentally redefining what it means to be literate in the 21st century. The Voice-First Revolution.