London-Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, attended a Gurmat Samagam (religious congregation) organised by the management committee at the historic Khalsa Jatha British Isles Gurdwara Sahib in London.
On the occasion, the gurdwara management and some local Sikhs held discussions with the Jathedar in the library located within the gurdwara premises on several important issues and challenges concerning Sikhs and Punjabis, particularly young women, who come from Punjab to the UK for higher education. It was agreed that these matters would be taken forward through a coordinated approach.
The Jathedar assured them that whatever guidance and support was required from Sri Akal Takht Sahib regarding the propagation of Sikhi and Panthic affairs would be provided.
Discussions were also held on artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbots, which are increasingly becoming a major source of information for the general public. Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj emphasised the need to take forward the proposal of engaging and collaborating with AI technology companies across the world to address the serious problem of misleading information about Gurbani, Sikh history and Sikh traditions being disseminated through AI platforms, including fabricated verses being presented in the name of sacred Gurbani.
He acknowledged that incorrect references to Gurbani appearing through AI platforms and their unauthorised dissemination constitute a serious issue directly linked to the fundamental values, principles and Sikh Maryada.
Addressing the gathering, Gurpreet Singh Anand, a member of the management of Khalsa Jatha British Isles Gurdwara Sahib, spoke about the history of the gurdwara. He said that Sant Teja Singh and Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha were among its founders and that Babbar Akali martyr Bhai Udham Singh had also visited the gurdwara and rendered services there. He said the gurdwara was established during the Singh Sabha movement and was among the earliest Sikh gurdwaras in Europe.
On the occasion, Harmeet Shah Singh, Director of Communications and Advocacy at the United Sikhs organisation and a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s AI Sub-Committee, apprised Singh Sahib and the congregation of the serious challenges posed by AI.
Harmeet Shah Singh said people were increasingly relying on chatbots to obtain Gurbani verses, their meanings and references. On several occasions, these AI platforms provide incorrect verses, distort original Gurbani passages or present entirely fabricated text as Gurbani. He said the problem becomes even more serious when users share such AI-generated responses on social media and other public platforms without verifying them against authentic religious sources.
Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said that the challenges facing Sikhs today could be overcome through unity and mutual cooperation. He said that in the coming period, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, in collaboration with UK-based institutions and organisations, would undertake joint initiatives to reach out to Sikh and Punjabi children and students studying in educational institutions across the UK.
He said the Sikh community today lacked neither human resources nor financial resources; what was lacking was the willpower and a coordinated approach among Sikhs. He said Sri Akal Takht Sahib was the central institution that united Sikhs across the world and that every challenge could be addressed by coming together under its banner.
Regarding AI-related concerns, Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj called upon Sikh scholars, Gursikhs working in the technology sector and Sikhs actively engaged with this issue to join hands, approach leading AI companies and work towards finding solutions.
Describing the matter as serious, he said it was directly connected with the foundation of Sikhi — Gurbani — and could not be ignored. He stressed the need for a coordinated approach and said efforts would soon be made to provide a platform for this purpose and establish coordination with AI companies. He added that AI platforms and applications developed by Sikhs would require approval from Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
He said steps would also be taken to develop dedicated applications and authentic online resources to provide access to Gurbani. These initiatives would be undertaken under the supervision of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Efforts would be made to develop centralised, authenticated and authorised Gurbani AI systems and digital resources of the Sikh community.
He said AI companies would be approached to ensure that incorrect or fabricated texts were never presented as Gurbani. If anyone searched for Gurbani through AI platforms, the information provided should come from centrally authorised and authenticated Sikh sources. Efforts would also be made to have Gurbani-related material classified as sensitive content so that the spread of misinformation could be prevented.
He further said that instead of depending on AI, Sikhs should learn and study Gurbani directly from Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sainchis and Sikh literature. He emphasised that AI could never replace authenticated and authorised sources and that complete dependence on this technology was therefore not appropriate.
On the occasion, Gurdwara Management Committee president Gurpreet Singh Anand and vice-president Bibi Gurwinder Kaur Randhawa honoured Jathedar Gargajj with a Siropa, a book detailing the history of the gurdwara and a commemorative coin.
Jathedar Bhai Gajender Singh, Sukhdeep Singh Randhawa, Amandeep Singh, Amarjeet Singh, Media Adviser Jaskaran Singh and members of the congregation were also present.