THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An encyclopaedia dedicated entirely to Artificial Intelligence (AI), that too in Malayalam.
After the success of its AI-themed journal, the team at State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications (SIEP) is gearing up to release an encyclopaedia featuring detailed, easy-to-grasp write-ups on 121 topics dealing with various aspects of AI.
The work is nearing completion. In fact, 80% of it is finished, said editor Rajesh Kumar S. The release of the encyclopaedia, ‘Nirmithabudhi’, is slated for November.
The encyclopaedia will offer readers insights into the science behind AI as well as its ethical and legal implications. It will explore a range of topics, including the history of AI, responsible AI, privacy, fairness, cognitive computing, AI in healthcare, smart homes, digital twins, predictive analytics, cloud computing, and more. The team has high hopes the encyclopaedia will be well-received.
Work on the encyclopaedia was launched in February. The content has been contributed by AI experts, researchers, and professionals from around the globe.
A 11-member advisory board, chaired by Professor Leena Mary of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Kottayam, oversaw selection of topics. One of the major challenges, according to the editorial team, was finding AI experts who could write in Malayalam. “We wanted to ensure the information is accessible to the public. So we chose writers who could present complex topics in a simplified manner,” said Rajesh Kumar S, SIEP sub-editor and editor of the encyclopaedia.
Out of the five concise encyclopaedias planned this financial year, ‘Nirmithabudhi’ will be the second to be released. The book, spanning approximately 230 pages, is being printed in a first batch of 1,000 copies, with additional copies to be printed based on demand. The layout and final touches are in progress. The cost is yet to be fixed.
Discussions on audiobook version release under way
Besides written articles, the encyclopaedia will also feature AI-generated images and QR codes that would link readers to video talks on topics uploaded on ‘Arivu’, the SIEP’s YouTube channel.
The encyclopaedia does not have a specific target audience. “Anyone passionate about learning can benefit from it,” Rajesh said. He noted their AI-themed journal released earlier this year received positive response, suggesting there is a broad interest in the topic.
Muse Mary George, SIEP director, acknowledged the difficulty of translating some technical terms into Malayalam.
“Popular technical terms were left untranslated to avoid confusion, but we’re open to updating the vocabulary based on feedback from readers,” she said. There are also discussions on producing an audiobook version, though it may be released a year later to avoid affecting the sales of the printed version. “If we do an audiobook, it wouldn’t be the complete version. The narration would be adapted to make it engaging for listeners,” Muse Mary George said.
The team
The 11-member team is chaired by Professor Leena Mary of IIIT Kottayam. Its members are Professors Jalaja M J (IIIT Kottayam), Deepak P (Queen’s University, Belfast), Santhosh Kumar G (Cusat), Asharaf (Digital University Kerala-DUK), Sanil J (R&D Engineer at DUK), Usha Das (HoD, Computer Science, UC College-Aluva), Rajeev Rajan (Associate Professor, Government Engineering College, Idukki), Arun Surendran (Principal, Trinity College of Engineering-Trivandrum), Santhosh Thomas (GB member SIEP) and Muse Mary George (Director, SIEP).