Marathi Literature in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Whenever new technology has emerged, it has profoundly impacted all spheres of human life. The discovery of the art of writing, the development of the printing press, newspapers, radio, television, and the internet—each of these stages brought about changes in the form of literary creation. Today, we have entered the era of Artificial Intelligence, and the influence of this technology is being strongly felt in the field of literature as well. Artificial Intelligence refers to computational systems that can think like human intelligence, learn, make decisions, and understand the meaning of language. Previously, literary creation was entirely based on human creativity; but today, computers themselves have begun writing poems, stories, essays, and dialogues. This development is extremely significant, yet equally concerning, from the perspective of Marathi literature.

The tradition of Marathi literature is not limited merely to writing; it is intricately linked with the social, cultural, religious, and political fabric of Maharashtra. The saint literature of Sant Jnaneshwar, Namdev, Tukaram, and Eknath; the historical chronicles (Bakhar) of the Peshwa era; the reformist ideologies of the British period; and the modern-era social, Dalit, and feminist literature—through all these streams, Marathi literature has provided leadership to society. Before such a rich tradition now stands the challenge of Artificial Intelligence. The question is not whether to accept or reject this challenge, but rather how to understand it and how to handle it. Therefore, this journal undertakes a detailed, critical, and research-based study of the relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Marathi literature, its advantages and disadvantages, its use and misuse, and future opportunities and challenges.