Karnataka treading cautiously with AI in govt processes, says state minister Priyank Kharge

Karnataka is experimenting with artificial intelligence by conducting gram panchayat meetings online, monitoring employee attendance, mapping real estate and possibly soon introducing a biometric card for cattle, among other things, state minister Priyank Kharge said.

The state's digital infrastructure at the panchayat level is "extremely good", said Kharge, who handles the portfolios of rural development, panchayat raj, information technology and biotechnology.

"I have close to around 6,000 panchayats, and all the gram panchayat meetings have moved online. We are at a beta level, but more than 136,000 meetings have been conducted online," Kharge said at the second edition of the Salesforce Economic Times Digital Transformation Dialogues.


The meetings are open to people and have been viewed online by 25,6 million people, out of which 11.7 million are women, the minister said.

The state has also mapped around 15 million properties with Geographic Information System (GIS) tagging, bringing them under panchayats' tax ambit.

Kharge said the state is "treading a little cautiously about what to do with AI in government processes". "Under e-governance, we have set up a small cell to understand how processes can be cut down. It is meant for better citizen deliveries," he said, while also citing an increase in cyber-crimes.