Chatbot ‘Vasu’ to spread info on govt schemes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a unique experiment, a govt department launched a crowd-sourced training for an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot to disseminate and popularize information about schemes meant for tribal youth among the target beneficiaries.

Unnathi, under the SC,ST development department, created “Vasu”, a Malayalam-speaking chatbot designed to provide easy access to information about govt schemes for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. Vasu, with the persona of a friendly cat, uses AI technology to understand and respond to questions about various SC,ST welfare schemes. This virtual assistant aims to bridge the information gap and empower SC,ST individuals to make informed decisions about their opportunities and benefits.