Reporter's diary: Even robots can do the job of Tamil Nadu cops

CHENNAI: In the last two months alone, the State police have opened fire at suspects in 6 places, the latest in Madurai on February 28. If a curious person wants to know the sequence of events which led to the shootings in each instance, the now-trending AI (artificial intelligence) ChatGPT is likely to say, “Suspects were shot on their legs when they attempted to flee after attacking policemen escorting them.” It wouldn’t be off the mark.

Since the rank and file seem to function without application of mind and follow instructions blindly like a robot, a humanoid in their place can get the job done. The political masters can give instructions to some ChatGPT-like AI (instead of IPS officers), which can pass them on to the humanoids.

Perhaps when their livelihood feels threatened, the trigger-happy cops would curb their machismo, which has never been questioned. That these shootings can never happen without ‘political will’ should not be lost on the civic society and opposition parties.

After all, what can be expected from an opposition party, during whose tenure 13 people were killed in police firing and over 100 were injured during protests against Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi.

The other opposition party gives platform to retired military men who take pride in claiming that their fraternity was an expert in making bombs and handling guns, and warns the State government to not force them to use the same.