Kerala’s Industries, Commerce, IT and AI minister P K Kunhalikutty says laws and governance systems need to evolve alongside rapid AI advances. He made the remarks on Thursday while inaugurating a new ICT Complex, AI Lab, and Security Lab at the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) in Thiruvananthapuram.
Why Governance Needs to Change
Kunhalikutty said the government must be ready to adapt as technology evolves fast. “If we are not prepared to change along with technological changes, we will become outdated,” he said.
He added that C-DIT should focus on creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs and startups. He also called for investments suited to new technologies, drawing a comparison to how Infopark and Technopark helped grow Kerala’s IT sector in the past.
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Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan, who presided over the event, said C-DIT has successfully adopted AI systems to keep up with changing times. He noted that such centres can also help address the misuse and shortcomings that come with AI technology.
New AI Lab to Focus on Malayalam Language Services
The new AI Lab at C-DIT will develop public AI services designed to be easy for citizens to use, with a strong focus on the Malayalam language. According to C-DIT, the lab is building systems that can speak and understand both Malayalam and English, answer questions, and convert speech to text and text to natural speech.
Rather than building separate AI tools for every project, the lab plans to create reusable public AI systems. Data security will be a priority, and these systems will remain under full government control.
At the event, C-DIT also released a newly developed Malayalam font called “Arali.”
The function was attended by Electronics and IT Department special secretary Seeram Sambasiva Rao, IT Mission director Sandeep Kumar, Regional PF commissioner Azhakiya Manavalan, councillor Reshma C, C-DIT director Prof Dr M Abdul Rahiman, and C-DIT registrar Jayadev Anand.
Samarjit Kaur is a journalist and communications professional covering technology & emerging digital trends. With a focus on clarity and context, she reports on developments shaping industries and governance. When not reporting, she chooses to plug-in and relax on her playlists and plan her next bucket-list trips!
