Shillong, Dec 3: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday emphasised that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a defining role in governance, development and citizen empowerment in the coming years.
Addressing the Regional AI Impact Conference here, Sangma said it was an honour for the state to host the meet, adding that Meghalaya is steadily emerging as a leader in the IT sector in the Northeast and advancing its capabilities in AI.
“AI is the future. It is a technology that will reshape governance, accelerate development and empower citizens like never before,” he said.
The chief minister highlighted the state’s success in leveraging technology for governance, pointing out that data-driven interventions have helped reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate by nearly 50 per cent.
Technology has also enabled the mapping of rivers, springs, watersheds, forests and other key natural resources, he added.
Sangma said firms operating out of the Shillong IT Park are already using AI to develop predictive models in agriculture and to support Fortune 500 companies in their tech transitions – a reflection of the growing confidence global industries have in Meghalaya’s talent pool.
He said technology has empowered the government to make timely, informed decisions and targeted interventions, and expressed pride in Meghalaya leading the Regional AI Impact Conference for the Northeast.
Stressing the need for a robust ecosystem built through collaboration between the government, industry, academia and domain experts, Sangma said Meghalaya recently established its first State Government Engineering College.
Calling for investment in advanced skills such as AI, quantum computing and frontier technologies, he said the state’s young population and strong institutional support place it in a favourable position to lead the region’s AI transformation. (PTI)
