The Kerala government is committed to supporting AI-based investments and fostering an environment conducive to technological advancement, the State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
“We anticipate more AI based investments to flow into the State in the coming years, further boosting our efforts to become the leading AI hub. As a hub of IT and Startups in the country, Kerala can function as India’s nerve centre in making indigenous contributions in the field of generative artificial intelligence,” he said.
The Chief Minister was delivering the inaugural address at two-day International Conclave on GenAI organised by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) in collaboration with IBM.
Integrating AI into all key sectors including tourism, healthcare, education, IT and renewable energy will stimulate the economic growth and improve the quality of life of people, he added.
The State Government’s commitment to AI is evident in its integration into the education system. The introduction of AI in school textbooks, starting from class 7, ensures that students are familiar with AI right from an early age. The new ICT curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities, which are essential for holistic development, he said.
P. Rajeeve, the State’s Industries Minister said that the GenAi is set to revolutionalize industry by enhancing efficiency and productivity. This conclave is a platform to explore possibilities like how GenAI can address the real life challenges and to expand the avenues for growth, besides developing tools that can benefit various sectors through our economy and society.
The conclave aims to impart an added momentum to the State’s transformation into a knowledge economy that adopts and integrates cutting-edge technology in all spheres, he added.
On concerns about AI replacing jobs, the Minister said those who have learned these technologies will thrive and we have to equip ourselves with AI skills by ensuring our relevance and competitiveness in job market.
Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President of Products at IBM Software said IBM is focusing on how to contribute back to society through GenAI. “The conclave will showcase how we can infuse GenAI into enterprises, besides exploring how a product created in Kochi can be branded globally”.