Interviews in rural Nashik - April 2026

This field visit has been a great learning experience. In my visit, I encountered the people of four villages in Nashik, two semi-urban villages, and two rural villages, engaging in interaction with a broad spectrum of people across age groups and occupations.

The most interesting thing about it was the intuitive manner in which people are incorporating AI into their daily lives. Although there is little or no formal training, many are experimenting with the tools available to them to find a solution to the practical problems. As an example, I noticed a local health instructor who was part of an NGO and used generative AI to experiment with inputs related to diet and hydration to prepare food. Equally, a garage owner showed how he uses voice-based AI systems such as Siri to communicate and navigate hands-free when at work.

In the agricultural sector, certain farmers are harnessing AI-driven technologies to make effective decisions in selecting seeds depending on the seasonal changes and the soil. Some people have also come to explore solutions in the field of IoT, as a few individuals have come to explore solutions in the field of IoT.

The lack of formal training does not appear to be a barrier to adoption. It, instead, promotes the trial-and-error way of learning, where the user learns by doing. The majority of people we spoke to view AI tools as easy-to-use assistants and not complicated technologies.

The fact that AI tools are simple and can be easily responded to is a critical factor in their adoption in rural and semi-urban areas.