Karnataka to set up exclusive AI cell to power policy and scheme delivery

Bengaluru: To leverage the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across sectors, the govt has decided to set up an exclusive AI cell under the department of personnel and administrative reforms' (DPAR) e-governance wing to strengthen policy making and improve delivery of schemes. With the new cell, the govt aims to integrate emerging technologies into administration and enhance efficiency, transparency and responsiveness in delivery of welfare programmes. The proposed cell will include a mixture of AI experts from industry, govt officials and members from the Centre for Smart Governance (CSG), the govt's technology arm. As part of its initial roadmap, the govt has identified key public-facing departments where AI tools can be deployed to improve implementation of welfare and social security schemes. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, principal secretary, DPAR e-governance told TOI that the department will soon begin consultations with stakeholders. "As a first step, we will hold a brainstorming session later this month with industry experts and create a strong pitch for the govt," Pandey said. "We will then hold a round of preliminary meetings with some public-facing departments to get their feedback and demands on what projects they want for AI tech." Pandey said the govt has already identified 10 departments for the initial phase. These include rural development and panchayat raj, revenue, women and child welfare, primary and secondary education, higher education, home, food and civil supplies, health and transport. Officials said the e-governance department has begun the process of collecting datasets and information repositories from various departments to build a master database. The idea is to use this consolidated data to develop predictive AI models and other digital tools that can help departments roll out schemes more efficiently and target beneficiaries better. The move comes amid increasing discussions on the role of AI in governance, public service delivery, and data-driven decision making. Officials say the cell is expected to function as a central hub to guide departments on AI adoption, standardisation and ethical use. Pandey said Karnataka drew key insights from the recent AI Summit in New Delhi, where state representatives interacted with global leaders and technology experts. "We intend to use ideations and discussions held with players from the AI Impact Summit to help us devise governance tools," he said.