BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar unveiled Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited’s (KEONICS) new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered computing platform KEO on Friday.
The personal computer is based on Linux, an open-source operating system, which will allow students and institutions to circumvent licensing issues 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.
The computer will be ideal for rural areas with limited internet connectivity, since its AI ‘Buddh’ is trained on Karnataka’s State Education Research and Training (DSERT) syllabus. 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 across educational and community environments in Karnataka.
Around 2,222 KEO computers will be deployed across Karnataka in Phase 1. The implementation will cover all 239 talukas and the 31 districts of the state. The CM said, “This is not a device, but a dream: of all of Karnataka’s children being able to shape the future.
The government 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.”