PANAJI
The State government’s proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2026 will establish a three-year framework for AI adoption, with five strategic pillars and a four-tier, risk-based governance mechanism aimed at ensuring responsible innovation, ethical safeguards and public trust.
The final policy document, covering the period from 2026 to 2029, will be unveiled at the Goa AI Tech Conclave scheduled to be held on October 22 and 23. The draft policy was kept open for public suggestions in May.
“The government has considered and modified the scheme following inputs from the stakeholders,” sources said adding that the policy sets out a three-year roadmap to transform Goa into a national hub for responsible, inclusive, and innovation-driven AI.
Sources informed that the key feature of the policy will be its risk-based approach to AI governance, under which safeguards are intended to be proportionate to the potential risks associated with different AI applications. “The framework is aimed at promoting innovation while addressing concerns surrounding the responsible use of AI,” sources said.
The AI policy classifies AI applications into four risk tiers -- Prohibited, High-Risk, Medium-Risk and Low-Risk based on their potential impact on citizens, safety and governance. Prohibited applications include social scoring, untargeted mass biometric scraping and AI systems used to generate non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). High-risk systems, which could materially affect citizens’ rights, health or safety, include healthcare triage, student assessments and mining compliance monitoring. Such systems cannot be deployed without a completed AI Impact Assessment (AIIA) and a mandatory Human Oversight Plan. Medium-risk applications cover operational optimisation tools, such as tourism crowd management and traffic routing for emergency responses. Low-risk applications include internal productivity tools, which are subject to standard data protection and cybersecurity requirements.
The policy also places strong emphasis on skilling and education. Goa plans to create an AI-ready workforce by certifying all technical graduates by 2028 and training 50,000 AI professionals by 2030, with at least 20 per cent participation from women and youth. AI will be introduced as a compulsory subject from Classes VI to XII by the 2027-28 academic year, alongside the establishment of AI laboratories in 50 government schools and expanded higher education integration.
“The policy will provide a strategic direction for AI adoption across governance, industry, skill development and citizen services. A dedicated institutional structure is also proposed to oversee its implementation, ethical safeguards and partnerships with industry,” sources said.
The government has proposed setting up three AI Centres of Excellence-focusing on coastal and environmental systems, healthcare and life sciences, and tourism and hospitality by 2028. Each centre will receive dedicated funding over five years to accelerate sector-specific innovation.
The policy outlines several governance-focused applications, including AI-powered chatbots on the Goa Online portal in Konkani, Hindi, and English, automated grievance redressal systems, AI-assisted RTI processing, and real-time dashboards for disaster management, coastal monitoring, and traffic regulation.
Sector-specific interventions include AI-enabled fishing advisories, smart tourism systems for crowd management and safety at beaches and heritage sites, and assistive AI tools in government hospitals for diagnostics and disease outbreak prediction. The policy also proposes enhanced monitoring of mining leases and environmental compliance using AI technologies.
