AI suggested ‘Karnataka model’ to win Assam polls, says D.K. Shivakumar

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said an artificial intelligence platform had suggested that the “Karnataka model” could help win elections in Assam.

Speaking in the Legislative Council while responding to a question by BJP member Bharathi Shetty on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in governance, Mr. Shivakumar said he had experimented with AI tools during a visit to Assam in connection with elections.

“I asked an AI platform how to win the Assam elections. It said the election could be won by adopting the Karnataka model,” he said, prompting a brief exchange and light-hearted remarks from the Opposition members in the House.

Mr. Shivakumar said the world was entering a new era of artificial intelligence, and the subject was being widely discussed across sectors. He noted that the Prime Minister had recently convened a major conference on AI, and courts were also deliberating on the use of such technology.

Research required

At the same time, he said the use of AI in government administration required extensive research and careful consideration before decisions could be taken.

Explaining the limitations of AI, he said information generated by such systems depends entirely on the data fed into them. “If documents of the House are scanned and uploaded into computers, only then can they become part of the digital system,” he said, comparing it to how past court judgments must be uploaded before they can be accessed for reference.

Sharing a personal anecdote, the Deputy Chief Minister said his daughter had once suggested that he use AI tools to gather material for a speech.

“I tried it and got a lot of information. I have experimented with AI, but its accuracy still needs improvement,” he added.