In his thought-provoking TED Talk, Ebin Deni Raj explores the profound impact artificial intelligence (AI) is having on our lives and urges us to critically examine the kind of humanity we are embedding into machines. He begins by illustrating how AI algorithms now influence key decisions in society—ranging from job applications to social welfare—yet often in ways that are opaque and inherently biased. Ebin highlights the case of Amazon’s hiring tool, which penalized resumes with the word “women,” demonstrating how AI can amplify existing societal prejudices rather than simply reflecting human behavior.Ebin also introduces the “Clever Hans” phenomenon, where a horse was believed to solve math problems, but was actually just reacting to subtle human cues, paralleling how AI mimics intelligence without true understanding. He further delves into the dangers of unintended consequences with the "Cobra Effect," where well-intentioned solutions can backfire when the wrong metrics are prioritized, underscoring how AI systems, though powerful, can have unforeseen and harmful outcomes.Drawing from a real-world case, Ebin describes a social welfare project where identical profiles were given different results due to hidden algorithmic biases. This case illustrates the urgent need for greater transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI systems. He emphasizes that AI should not be designed passively, but actively with human values, goals, and dignity in mind.Concluding his talk, Ebin argues that to create AI that truly serves humanity, we must first understand both AI technology and ourselves—our values, flaws, and aspirations. Only through this understanding can we ensure that AI enhances, rather than diminishes, human dignity and societal well-being. Dr. Ebin Deni Raj, faculty at IIIT Kottayam, is a leading advocate for Responsible AI and founder of FACTSH Lab, which focuses on fair, safe AI for social challenges. He developed a Responsible AI Toolkit for enterprises and governments and leads global projects like one funded by the Volkswagen Foundation on explainable AI. Co-author of the ‘AI for Everyone’ booklet, he promotes AI literacy in India. His awards include Microsoft’s AI for Earth (2019) and CSI’s Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. A jury member for AI Gamechanger 2022 and Aegis Graham Bell Awards, Dr. Ebin is a global voice on AI ethics, using his TEDx talk to champion tech that serves humanity. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx