HYDERABAD: If all goes well, senior citizens would no longer have to show up at a bank or office to avail their pension. Instead, they would just need to take a selfie to get the job done. This would be made possible by a new artificial-intelligence-powered app, which the State government is developing.
The artificial intelligence system will verify the authenticity of the selfie on three levels, and this technology will be integrated with Meeseva, an official of the Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (ITE&C) department told Express.
“Firstly, it would verify if the image has been taken from another picture. Secondly, once someone clicks a selfie, the AI system would cross-check it with the driving license photo, voter ID, or any other official ID, to verify the identity of the person,” the official said.
“Thirdly, using an artificial intelligence system called D-Planning, it would verify whether the person is dead or alive,” the official said, adding that the system was developed in India. “After this, the pension would be disbursed to the user,” he added.
As of now, there are three methods to verify life certification of pensioners: One, they would have to physically present themselves before the authority concerned and fill a form to prove they are alive. Two, they must visit a bank, fill a form and submit it to the manager, and three, in Telangana, they may go to a Meeseva Centre and register their fingerprints.
All three methods require the pensioners’ physical presence. The ‘face recognition with AI’ system, however, would dilute the need for senior citizens to leave their houses. The system has been undergoing tests for the last six months.
“Earlier methods were cumbersome for senior citizens, who do not have the required mobility. This is another example of innovative technology playing a positive role in the lives of people,” principal secretary of the ITE&C department Jayesh Ranjan said.