Karnataka constitutes committee on responsible AI to develop comprehensive framework

Bengaluru, Mar 12 (PTI) Karnataka govt on Thursday said it has constituted a committee on responsible AI to develop a comprehensive framework to guide the safe, ethical and transparent adoption of AI across government systems and public services.

The committee, chaired by Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of Infosys, and co-chaired by N Manjula, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, brings together leading experts from industry, academia, policy and law, it said.

According to an official statement, in the first meeting of the committee, members discussed the rapidly evolving AI landscape and the need to establish strong governance frameworks to ensure the responsible use of AI technologies, particularly in systems that impact citizens.

"The committee will develop a responsible AI policy and implementation roadmap for Karnataka, aimed at enabling innovation while ensuring that AI systems deployed across government are safe, fair, transparent and accountable," it stated.

Speaking on the initiative, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said that as Karnataka enters its Deep Tech decade, the state is focused not only on accelerating AI innovation but also on ensuring that these technologies are deployed responsibly and in the public interest.

"The Responsible AI Committee brings together leading experts from industry, academia and policy to help shape a governance framework that promotes innovation while safeguarding transparency, accountability and citizen trust. This initiative will help Karnataka continue to lead in building an AI ecosystem that is both cutting-edge and responsible," he said.

Officials said that the committee will 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.

The members discussed key areas that the committee will focus on while developing the framework. Those areas include, establishing responsible AI principles and policy guidelines for the state, developing a risk classification framework for AI systems used in governance, and categorising applications based on potential impact and risk levels.

Officials said the committee would also focus on identifying AI practices that should be prohibited or restricted, including social scoring of citizens, unlawful or disproportionate surveillance, discriminatory profiling or exclusion, and high-stakes automated decision-making without meaningful human oversight.

It also discussed recommending safeguards, approvals and review mechanisms for high-risk AI applications in sectors such as welfare delivery, healthcare, education, policing, recruitment, financial decision-making and public safety, they said.

The statement said the committee also discussed defining data governance and privacy safeguards for AI systems, establishing transparency and accountability mechanisms and cybersecurity safeguards.

They would also examine the implications of generative AI and social media technologies, developing responsible AI procurement guidelines and vendor due diligence frameworks for AI systems.

Lauding the state government for setting up this committee, Infosys Co-Founder said, "If we can leverage this opportunity effectively, Karnataka can become the first state in the country to develop a comprehensive framework for responsible AI, one that drives better citizen services, creates the jobs of the 21st century, and strengthens our innovation ecosystem. By harnessing AI thoughtfully and responsibly, we can accelerate the growth of the economy significantly."