Pramesh S Jain
The Government of Karnataka has constituted a committee on Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop a comprehensive framework for the safe,ethical and transparent adoption of AI across government systems and public services.
The committee is chaired by Kris Gopalakrishnan and co-chaired by N.Manjula.It brings together experts from industry,academia,policy and law to guide the responsible deployment of AI technologies.
The first meeting of the committee was held in Bengaluru on Thursday,where members discussed the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem and the need for strong governance frameworks to ensure responsible use of AI, especially in systems affecting citizens.
The committee will prepare a Responsible AI policy and implementation roadmap for the state to enable innovation while ensuring that AI systems used by government departments are safe,fair,transparent and accountable.
Speaking on the initiative,Karnataka Minister for Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge said the state is entering its “Deeptech Decade” and aims to accelerate AI innovation while ensuring responsible deployment in the public interest.
He said the committee would help develop a governance framework that promotes innovation while safeguarding transparency, accountability and citizen trust, enabling Karnataka to continue leading in building a responsible and cutting-edge AI ecosystem.
Committee chairperson Kris Gopalakrishnan said artificial intelligence is a highly disruptive technology with the potential to significantly accelerate Karnataka’s economic growth.
If leveraged effectively, he noted, the state could become the first in the country to develop a comprehensive framework for responsible AI that improves citizen services, creates new jobs and strengthens the innovation ecosystem.
During the meeting,the members discussed several key focus areas for the proposed framework,including establishing responsible AI principles aligned with India’s governance guidelines and global best practices such as fairness,privacy, security,transparency, accountability and human oversight.
The committee will also develop a risk classification framework for AI systems used in governance,identify AI practices that should be restricted or prohibited,and recommend safeguards for high-risk applications in sectors such as healthcare, welfare delivery, education, policing, recruitment and public safety.
Other areas of focus include defining data governance and privacy safeguards aligned with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act,establishing transparency and accountability mechanisms,recommending independent audits and cybersecurity safeguards, and examining risks associated with generative AI, including misinformation and deepfakes.
The panel will also frame procurement guidelines for AI systems used by government departments and recommend capacity-building initiatives and AI literacy programmes for officials.
Members of the committee include representatives from leading organisations such as IBM,Accenture,Kyndryl, Wipro, IIIT Bangalore and NASSCOM.
The Managing Director of the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) will serve as the Member Secretary of the committee.
The committee is expected to submit an interim report within 60 days and a final set of recommendations within 90 days,outlining a policy framework,risk classification system and implementation roadmap for responsible AI adoption across government systems.
