The event brought together senior dignitaries from government, industry, philanthropy, and media to inaugurate A4I’s mission of leveraging artificial intelligence for social impact. Over 60 attendees—including senior IAS officers from the Indian and Karnataka governments, senior executives of philanthropic foundations, technology executives, and media representatives—participated in the launch. Uma Mahadevan, Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, was the chief guest. Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies, was the guest of honor. Prof Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT Bangalore, was the dignitary host of the event.

The key moments of the event are captured below.

Welcome Address by Prof Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT Bangalore

Prof Das opened the event by welcoming all attendees and outlining IIITB’s commitment to inclusive innovation. He highlighted the institute’s history of fostering research that addresses societal challenges across health, education, and livelihoods and introduced A4I as a natural extension of this mission. Emphasizing the importance of partnerships, particularly with Microsoft, he set the tone for collaborative, population-scale AI solutions for underserved communities.

Our Speakers

John Doe

Professor

Jenifer Doe

Professor

John Doe

Professor