In India an algorithm declares them dead; they have to prove they’re alive
Al Jazeera
Haryana state ended old age and widow pensions for thousands of claimants because they were dead. But they weren’t.
This story was produced with support from the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.
Rohtak and New Delhi, India: Dhuli Chand was 102 years old on September 8, 2022, when he led a wedding procession in Rohtak, a district town in the north Indian state of Haryana.
As is customary in north Indian weddings, he sat on a chariot in his wedding finery, wearing garlands of Indian rupee notes, while a band played celebratory music and family members and villagers accompanied him.
But instead of a bride, Chand was on his way to meet government officials.
Chand resorted to the antic to prove to officials that he was not only alive but also lively. A placard he held proclaimed, in the local dialect: “thara foofa zinda hai”, which literally translates to “your uncle is alive”.
