Alumni of the College of Engineering, Guindy, have agreed to initiate steps to set up a Centre for Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in the College of Engineering, Guindy.
Raj Reddy, who graduated in 1958, and T. K. Balaji, of the 1967 batch and now the chairman of Lucas TVS, will spearhead the initiative.
Dr. Reddy, a computer scientist and Turing award winner, dispelled the myth that artificial intelligence would replace jobs done by humans. “I have been in the field of computing for over six decades. Artificial Intelligence started in the mid-1950s and I wonder why robotics has not taken over the world, as everyone has been predicting. For the past 20 years, I ask myself if there are ways to use this technology to help those at the bottom of the pyramid, the digitally illiterate. Voice and regional language technology with AI is at a level now that with relevant data, we can empower society,” he said.
The United Nations’ sustainable development goals was an area where AI could be used, he felt.
AI possibilities
AI could be put to use to identify and project water scarcity, drought or hunger. The idea is to find how to find the time zone and location of every person and reach out to them.
More than 1,500 alumni from the 1940 batch to the batch of 2018 participated in the meet.
Funds collected
Alumni Association president D. Vasudevan said ₹2.25 crore had been collected to help pay the mess and hostel fee of the needy students.
University Vice-Chancellor M.K. Surappa participated in the event, which included day-long panel discussions on various topics.
