Gen AI conclave will help Kerala become leading hub of AI: CM Vijayan

The country's first international Gen AI conclave will be held in Kerala next week and it will give an impetus to the state's efforts to become India's leading hub in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan said over a thousand delegates will take part in the two-day conclave being organised at Kochi by global technology company IBM in collaboration with the state government on July 11 and 12.

In conjunction with the conclave, IBM is also organising the WatsonX Challenge, he said.

The WatsonX challenge is the connecting of academic knowledge and real-life use cases using generative AI.

The CM said that the team that wins the challenge, in which over 50 startups working in the field of artificial intelligence will take part, will not only get an award, it will also get an opportunity to present their ideas in front of investors from the global level.

Vijayan, in his post, also said that besides IBM, various other companies were expressing willingness to invest in Kerala.

The government expects more artificial intelligence-based investments to flow into Kerala this year, he said..

The official website of the July 11-12 event was launched in June.

The state government had earlier said that the event will bring together industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to explore the transformative potential of AI and its impact on society and the economy.

This event will be a significant milestone in the advancement of AI in Kerala and the country, they had said.

"The International Gen AI Conclave stands as a testament to Kerala's commitment to fostering innovation and embracing transformative technologies. With IBM as the partner, this groundbreaking initiative aims to position Kerala as a hub for Generative AI innovation, catalysing economic growth and driving forward the state's vision for Industry 4.0 readiness," state Industries Minister P Rajeev had said.

The decision to hold a grand AI conclave was announced in this year's budget as one of the most important interventions by the state government in the AI sector.