Kerala launches mega AI literacy drive for parents

Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education ( KITE ), the technical arm of the state General Education Department, has launched a large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) literacy programme for adults titled Sarvam AI Mayam (AI is Everywhere), officials said on Sunday. The initiative, described as the country’s largest AI awareness drive , aims to train nearly six lakh parents through the state’s public school system by June 30, 2026.

The programme will be implemented through 2,200 Little KITEs IT club units across Kerala , with students acting as trainers and each unit covering an average of 300 parents . Officials said the campaign will span both rural and urban areas , using government schools as hubs to ensure uniform access across districts . Funding for the initiative is being met from state education allocations routed through KITE, with officials indicating that the programme leverages existing school infrastructure and trained student volunteers to keep costs low.

The two-hour training module is designed to present a balanced view of AI , highlighting both its benefits and risks. KITE CEO K Anvar Sadath said the sessions begin with a simplified introduction to machine learning and move on to practical applications commonly used on smartphones. To demonstrate AI’s creative capabilities, parents are shown animated videos that bring the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma to life. Participants are trained to use AI-powered tools to identify birds and plants, translate signboards from other languages into Malayalam in real time, write poems, plan travel itineraries, generate recipes from available household ingredients, and restore old family photographs.

Alongside these applications, the curriculum places strong emphasis on digital safety. Parents are taught techniques to identify AI-generated deepfake videos, forged images and cloned voices, and are sensitised to the risks of emotional misinformation and fake news on social media. Internet etiquette and responsible online behaviour form a key component of the training. Officials said data privacy safeguards are built into the programme, with participants being advised on protecting personal information while using AI tools and digital platforms.

The training is primarily conducted in Malayalam, with English support where required, and special care is being taken to make sessions accessible to elderly participants through slower-paced demonstrations and follow-up assistance. While school-going children and their parents are the main focus, KITE said efforts are being made to include non-school parents through community outreach linked to local schools.

Student trainers from Little KITEs undergo preparatory sessions conducted by KITE to familiarise them with the curriculum, teaching methods and safety guidelines before engaging with parents. Evaluation is carried out through simple pre- and post-session interactions to assess basic understanding, and participants receive a certificate of participation on completion.

Parents are also introduced to the Samagra Plus Learning Room , an AI-enabled educational platform developed by KITE to help families support children’s learning at home. The programme builds on KITE’s earlier cybersecurity awareness drive that trained around four lakh parents in 2023–24. Sadath said the current initiative will incorporate updated security norms, including provisions under the IT Intermediary Amendment Rules, 2026, which are scheduled to come into force on February 20, 2026.

Officials said Sarvam AI Mayam is envisioned as a sustainable, long-term effort , with plans to introduce refresher sessions and advanced modules in the future. The overarching objective, they added, is to equip citizens with the ability to distinguish between reality and deception in the AI era, with students playing a central role in educating their own families.