NIT Puducherry's week-long high-end workshop on “Artificial Intelligence Models for Remote Sensing and its Applications (AIMRSA-2024)" sponsored by SERB (Karyashala), commenced on 06.06.2024.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Manthira Moorthi, Group Director at SAC, ISRO, Gujarat, who served as the chief guest. In his address, Dr. Moorthi emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) is not a substitute for human intelligence but a decision-making tool that aids humans. He noted that the Government of India has allocated substantial funds in the recent budget to develop IndiaAI. He also highlighted ISRO's advancements in navigation and communication technologies, which are evolving alongside technological progress. AI algorithms, known for their ability to map input data to output data and capture non-linearity, were initially perceived as black boxes. However, researchers are now making strides in decoding and understanding these algorithms better.
Dr. Makarand Madhao Ghangrekar, Director of NIT Puducherry and chief patron of the workshop, underscored the importance of AI and its applications, stating, "The importance of AI and its applications cannot be overstated. As we often say, 'Where all our minds go, AI can be applied.' This technology has the potential to revolutionize countless fields, and we must harness its power to drive innovation and progress."
Dr. S. Sundaravarathan, Registrar of NIT Puducherry and patron of the inauguration, also highlighted the significance of AI in remote sensing. The Dean of Research and Consultancy at NIT Puducherry remarked on the progressive research ecosystem and the institution's commitment to enhancing the research landscape.
Dr. Venkatesan M, coordinator of the workshop, provided an outline of the seven-day event, which sees the participation of 31 students from across India and Eminent Speakers from ISRO, IIT, NIT and Industry. Dr. Ansuman Mahapatra, HoD-CSE, faculty members, and students attended the inauguration.