Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Academic Libraries: Advancing the Vision of Viksit Bharat@2047

Abstract The continuing advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating new possibilities for higher education and academic library development. The increasing volume of digital information, expansion of online education, and growing complexity of scholarly communication require libraries to provide faster, more responsive, and user-oriented information services. AI can assist academic libraries in areas such as intelligent discovery of scholarly resources, automated reference assistance, resource recommendation, metadata creation, research support, collection analysis, and digital preservation. This paper examines the emerging applications of AI in academic libraries and considers how these developments can support the broader objectives of Viksit Bharat@2047. Particular attention is given to the advantages of AI as well as concerns involving accuracy, privacy, copyright, ethics, infrastructure, digital inequality, and professional competencies. The paper argues that AI should function as an enabling technology rather than a substitute for librarians. The combination of computational capabilities with professional knowledge and human judgement can transform academic libraries into more responsive centres for learning, research, innovation, and knowledge sharing. Properly implemented AI-based library services can therefore strengthen the contribution of academic libraries to quality education, research capacity, digital literacy, and inclusive access to knowledge, thereby supporting India's long-term development aspirations.