Contrary to what one might expect, the state of Bihar is not lagging behind in AI adoption. In fact, there are multiple initiatives originating out of the state, some being helmed by the state authorities, and others by corporates and universities. Here’s a glimpse into the flagship AI initiatives in Bihar.

• AI to target brick kiln hotspots of air pollution: The Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has collaborated with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) India for an innovative measure to ensure better air quality in the state. According to the BSPCB, brick kilns cause 14% of the air pollution in the state. Therefore, AI and remote sensing technology are used by the state’s pollution control board to detect key sources of air pollution through satellite image and real-time monitoring. This is particularly important because most of the brick kilns are situated in remote areas making it difficult to inspect manually. A 2017 directive by the Central Pollution Control Board of India (CPCB) has mandated brick kilns across India to convert to the less polluting zigzag design. However, of the total 6,000 brick kilns, 30% have not yet adopted the cleaner technology and are still using the banned traditional method. The GeoAI platform of UNDP brings together coordinated action from diverse stakeholders – regulators, government agencies, civil society, and volunteer groups to tackle the complexity around brick kilns. Read more... 
• AI-powered poll counting for Bihar panchayat polls: The Bihar State Election Commission is all set to automate vote-counting amid ongoing Bihar Panchayat poll election. This is the first time that an AI system will be used for vote counting in the country. JARVIS, an AI-powered proprietary Video Analytics of Staqu will count votes through the camera that monitors the screens of electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the help of Video Management Software (VMS) and video analytics. Read more... 
• IIT Patna partnership with Flipkart for ML and NLP research: Bihar’s very own IIT in Patna has entered into a partnership with Flipkart for joint research in the field of AI, NLP and ML. The university and e-commerce platform will work jointly to conduct in-depth research in the area of translating content in Indian languages through technology to make non-English speaking users more comfortable to shop online. IIT Patna will undertake a number of programs such as joint research activities, writing research papers, organizing seminars, internship /mentorship and so on. This industry-academia collaboration is meant to to bring real-world industry exposure to students and to create industry-focused applied research to help Flipkart reach out to more consumers and sellers. Read more...
• Using AI to predict floods and save lives: Bihar is India’s most flood-prone state with 16.5% of India's flood affected area and 22.1% of India's flood affected population. Google has devised a new approach for inundation modelling, called a morphological inundation model, which combines physics-based modelling with ML to create more accurate and scalable inundation models in real-world settings. Known as the Google Flood Forecasting Initiative, it provides accurate real-time flood forecasting information and alerts to those in affected regions. This initiative, now a pan-India effort, was first piloted in Patna in Bihar in 2018. Read more...

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