India to Use AI to Identify Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in Maharashtra

According to BBC and NDTV, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revealed that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is developing this AI tool. While the software is currently reported to be 60% accurate, officials claim it will reach 100% precision within four months.

However, experts have raised serious concerns regarding the technical feasibility and potential for bias. AI specialists argue that identifying individuals based on appearance, clothing, or dialect is scientifically flawed. For instance, the language spoken in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh often overlaps, and religious attire is common across both regions. Experts like scientist Arijit Mukherjee warn that since AI relies on "training data," political bias could easily seep into the identification process.

Economist Prosenjit Bose also questioned the necessity of this tool, pointing out that previous intensive voter list revisions (SIR) failed to produce significant numbers of illegal migrants. There are fears that this AI technology could unfairly target Indian Bengali Muslims or even Hindus, labeling them as "infiltrators" due to linguistic and cultural similarities with Bangladeshis.