Very happy to know that the Technology sub committee is doing a great job and that you are planning a major physical event at CMC, Vellore which is my Alma Mater. 

The theme 'MIND MEETS MACHINE: Interface of Technology and Psychiatry'  is apt and timely. So many changes world over, in particular the phenomenal progress of AI is mind boggling. 

We, as psychiatrists need to be well versed with these developments. In the coming days machines will be competing with our practice. However, care and empathy cannot be replaced by the machines fully. 

Hence, the dual responsibility of learning and being comfortable with technology on the one hand and equally proficient in care and concern on the other hand. 

I am confident the programme would be a great success and help us understand the advances better. 

Dear Colleagues, Delegates, and Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the national symposium, "Mind Meets Machine: Interface of Technology and Psychiatry."

Psychiatry is entering an era in which technology is reshaping how we understand, assess, and treat mental illness. Artificial intelligence, digital phenotyping, telepsychiatry, mobile mental health applications, and data-driven decision support are no longer distant possibilities. They are becoming part of everyday clinical practice, research, and training. This brings extraordinary opportunities to widen access to care, especially in a country as large and diverse as ours, and to support earlier detection and more personalised treatment.

At the same time, these advances raise important questions. How do we protect patient privacy and confidentiality? How do we ensure that algorithms are fair, transparent, and clinically validated? How do we keep the therapeutic relationship, which lies at the heart of our discipline, firmly human? This symposium offers a timely platform to explore these questions together, drawing on the experience of clinicians, researchers, educators, technologists, and trainees.

I am glad that the programme brings together eminent speakers and young minds from across the country. I encourage every participant to engage openly, to challenge ideas, and to share perspectives so that we may move towards responsible and ethical integration of technology into Indian psychiatry.

My sincere appreciation goes to the Organising Chairperson, the Organising Secretary, the scientific committee, and the entire team for their dedication in putting together this meaningful event.

I wish you all a stimulating and enriching symposium. 

It gives me immense pleasure to convey my warm greetings to the organisers, faculty members and delegates of this CME on the thought-provoking theme “MIND MEETS MACHINE: Interface of Technology and Psychiatry”.

Psychiatry is witnessing a remarkable transformation driven by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, digital therapeutics, telepsychiatry, wearable technologies, Neuro-technology and data-driven approaches to mental healthcare. These innovations offer exciting opportunities for earlier detection, personalised interventions, improved access to care and better continuity of treatment.

At the same time, the interface between technology and the human mind brings important questions regarding ethics, privacy, digital dependence, algorithmic bias, informed consent and the irreplaceable role of human empathy and therapeutic relationships. Technology must therefore remain a tool that enhances psychiatric care—not a substitute for the psychiatrist–patient relationship.

This CME provides an excellent platform to explore both the possibilities and limitations of technology in psychiatry and to critically examine how we can integrate innovation with evidence-based, ethical and compassionate clinical practice.

I congratulate the organising team for choosing such a contemporary and relevant theme. I am confident that the academic deliberations will stimulate meaningful discussion, encourage responsible innovation and help us prepare psychiatry for the future.

I wish the CME every success and all the participants an enriching academic experience.