Kerala to introduce AI chatbots that understand local Malayalam dialects for public services

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has initiated a major push to digitise spoken Malayalam, a move that will enable AI-powered tools to listen and respond to public service queries in local dialects. The initiative aims to eliminate language barriers for people who lack proficiency in English or even the formal Malayalam dialect. Soon, government websites will be equipped to accept voice commands in regional Malayalam, ensuring seamless access to services. For instance, an AI chatbot developed for the fisheries department will soon be capable of understanding verbal queries from fishermen across the state. Using a mobile phone, a fisherman could inquire about housing scheme allotments and receive responses not only from the state department but also from the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. A formal agreement to make this technological leap possible was signed on Wednesday with Bhashini (Bhasha Interface for India), a flagship initiative under the Digital India programme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Even prior to the signing of the agreement, Bhashini had begun collaborating with the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) to build local language expertise. Sunil T T, Director of ICFOSS, confirmed that the organisation has been working on digitising Malayalam, including its various dialects, for some time. We may need more data to bring out a glitch-free AI tool, he said, highlighting the importance of community participation in refining the technology. The adoption of indigenous language digitisation tools offers significant advantages for the government. Besides ensuring data security, they reduce costs compared with proprietary solutions offered by tech majors. If a department in the secretariat uses services like Google Lens or Translate to process thousands of pages or voice requests in a day, they are charged on a per-word basis, Sunil explained, pointing out the financial burden of relying on commercial platforms. Bhashinis suite of services includes voice-to-voice translation, voice-to-text, text-to-text, and text-to-speech capabilities. These tools are available through a dedicated application, and the basic software can be shared with other developers to build customised solutions. Amitabh Nag, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital India Bhashini division, emphasised the broader vision behind the platform. Our AI-driven language platform aims to make digital services accessible in Indian languages. It enables citizens to interact with digital services in their native languages, removing barriers posed by English-centric systems. We are taking governance and service delivery to the grassroots, he said. The Kerala State IT Mission is in the process of rolling out AI chatbots to enhance e-governance. Seeram Sambasiva Rao, Special Secretary of the Electronics and IT Department, has taken a leading role in the initiative.