Karnataka CM launches affordable AI computer targeting rural students

BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar unveiled Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited's (KEONICS) new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered computing platform KEO on Friday.

Key points

• Since its AI 'Buddh' is trained on Karnataka's State Education Research and Training (DSERT) syllabus, the computer will be ideal for rural areas with limited internet connectivity.
• Around 2, 222 KEO computers will be deployed throughout Karnataka in Phase 1.
• The administration hasn't spent a single rupee on this; it has been developed with investment from our corporate partners.
• The personal computer is based on Linux, an open-source operating system.

Meanwhile, the personal computer is based on Linux, an open-source operating system. It will allow students and institutions to circumvent licensing problems and operate the computer freely. It comes in a form factor resembling a set-top box, and needs to be connected to a compatible monitor to run.

Since its AI 'Buddh' is trained on Karnataka's State Education Research and Training (DSERT) syllabus, the computer will be ideal for rural areas with limited internet connectivity. The device is priced at Rs 19, 000. The first batch of 5, 000 devices is ready.

Two MoUs were signed between the Shikshana Foundation and the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) and between the Shikshana Foundation and RSA, supporting the deployment and wider adoption of KEO throughout educational and community environments in Karnataka.

Around 2, 222 KEO computers will be deployed throughout Karnataka in Phase 1. The implementation will cover all 239 talukas and the 31 districts of the state. The CM remarked, This is not a device, but a dream: of all of Karnataka's children being able to shape the future.

For context, the administration hasn't spent a single rupee on this; it has been developed with investment from our corporate partners. It is a Made-in-Karnataka platform that brings AI-ready computing closer to students, entrepreneurs, farmers, small businesses and institutions, including those in areas where connectivity may be limited. This is how we move from digital access to participation in the digital economy.

For now, karnataka CM launches affordable AI computer targeting rural students remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.