Karnataka Launches KEO AI PC, Plans Initial Deployment of 1,000 Devices in Government Schools
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday launched the KEO AI PC 2026, an AI-enabled computing device developed through KEONICS, and announced that 1,000 devices would initially be deployed in government schools as part of an effort to eventually extend access to every government school in the state.
Launching the device at a private hotel in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the initiative was aimed at making artificial intelligence and emerging technologies accessible to students across Karnataka, including those in rural areas.
The Chief Minister said the launch was not merely about introducing a new computing device but about creating opportunities for children to learn, build and participate in the future of artificial intelligence.
The government plans to begin by deploying 1,000 KEO AI PCs in government schools, with the stated objective of eventually taking the technology to every government school in Karnataka, particularly in rural areas. Shivakumar described the initiative as a commitment rather than a pilot project.
According to Shivakumar, KEO could enable students to learn coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning and electronics, while also allowing teachers to use AI-enabled interactive learning tools.
He said the initiative was intended to reduce the digital divide between government and private schools and ensure that access to technology and opportunities was not determined by where a student lived.
Shivakumar also said Karnataka needed to create a wider technology talent pool beyond Bengaluru. He said access to devices such as KEO could enable students in rural areas to emerge as future technology innovators, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers.
The Chief Minister called on industry partners and corporate social responsibility organisations to support the government’s effort to expand the deployment of KEO across government schools.
Referring to Karnataka’s technology journey, Shivakumar recalled the role of former Chief Ministers Devaraja Urs and S M Krishna in building the state’s technology ecosystem. He said KEONICS had played an important role in the development of Electronic City and Karnataka’s emergence as a major technology hub.
Shivakumar said KEO reflected the state’s approach of developing homegrown technology solutions for local requirements through collaboration between the government, KEONICS and the semiconductor and technology ecosystem.
He said the device could evolve alongside technological advances, including more powerful processors and improved AI models, expanding the possibilities available to students.
Ministers K H Muniyappa, Eshwar Khandre and Priyank Kharge, KEONICS chairman and MLA Sharath Bachegowda, IT-BT Department Principal Secretary Manjula, industry leaders Kris Gopalakrishnan and Prashanth Prakash, and others were present at the launch.
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