Professionals demand ministry for Artificial Intelligence in Kerala

KOCHI: Professionals from various sectors have urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to set up a department exclusively for Artificial Intelligence in Kerala as the state’s growth in the IT sector is heading in a good pace. Roshy John, Global Head, Robotics and Cognitive Systems Group, TCS, submitted a memorandum demanding this to the Chief Minister on the sidelines of the Professional Student Summit at Cusat on Saturday.

“The main drawback of the Union and state budgets is there are no adequate allocations for Artificial Intelligence. When the other countries constituted an exclusive ministry for this, even the UAE, one of our neighbouring countries, has a separate department and a minister, it is unfair Kerala would be heading backwards in this sector,” said Roshy John.

According to Roshy, in the present scenario, 70 per cent of job opportunities in the world is linked with Artificial Intelligence. “The setting up of the National Centre For Artificial Intelligence has come up before the consideration of the Union Government only now. Hence, Kerala should take a forward step in this direction. The Technoparks in Kerala are leading in the country and Keralites are heads of the world’s major IT companies. Considering these circumstances, Kerala can set a model by setting up an Artificial Intelligence department, which would be a first of its kind in the country,” he said.