Karnataka to take AI education to rural areas, seeks industry help

Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar said the govt aims to take AI education to rural students and build industry partnerships to strengthen the state's AI ecosystem. Industry leaders backed the vision to position Bengaluru at the forefront of AI innovation.

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said the government aims to take artificial intelligence (AI) education to rural students and build long-term industry partnerships to strengthen the state's AI ecosystem, while industry leaders backed the state's vision to position Bengaluru at the forefront of AI innovation.

Government's Vision for AI Expansion

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a CEOs' meeting ahead of the Bengaluru Tech Summit, Shivakumar said the government's next priority is to expand AI education beyond cities and ensure rural students also benefit from emerging technologies. "We want to take AI to our children and we want to take it to the rural children. That is why I have requested all of them to invest in the rural schools, not in the towns. So, we want a curriculum also, we will be planning for that," he said.

He also urged industry leaders to participate in the Bengaluru Tech Summit later this year, saying the event would help showcase Karnataka's technology ecosystem globally.

Shivakumar said the government is ready to work with industry and welcomed greater collaboration to strengthen the state's technology leadership.

Industry Backs AI Push, Hails Bengaluru as 'AI Capital'

Speaking exclusively to ANI on the sidelines of the event, Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said Bengaluru continues to be India's technology hub and is well placed to lead the country's AI growth. She said Bengaluru has emerged as the country's AI capital and praised the Karnataka government's efforts to create an enabling AI ecosystem. "Bangalore is certainly the AI capital of the country. And I think what we want to do with AI, the way we are going about creating the architecture and the ecosystem, is really commendable," Mazumdar-Shaw told ANI.

Highlighting AI's long-term potential, she said, "It's all about educating our youth with AI, creating jobs based on AI and it is the future of any country."

Future Growth and Policy Initiatives

Earlier in the day, addressing CEOs at a breakfast meeting, Shivakumar invited companies to partner in Karnataka's next phase of growth.

Discussing Karnataka's economic performance, the Chief Minister said software exports had crossed INR 4.36 lakh crore and are expected to exceed INR 5.5 lakh crore this year. He announced plans to establish an AI University with industry participation, expand world-class technology infrastructure beyond Bengaluru, and roll out new policies to strengthen the state's technology ecosystem.

The Chief Minister also outlined a vision to introduce AI education to students from Class 6 onwards and promote balanced technology-led growth across Karnataka. (ANI)

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