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TTD defends AI strategy to cut waiting time for darshan

TTD defends AI strategy to cut waiting time for darshan

Time of India2 days ago
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Tirupati:
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
(TTD) chairman BR Naidu and former chief secretary LV Subramanyam, who also earlier served as TTD EO, sparred over the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce waiting time for darshan at Tirumala, drawing everyones attention to the contentious subject of the integration of AI in temple services.
The former CS, who was at Tirumala on Sunday, found fault with the attempt to reduce the waiting time for Darshan at Tirumala to less than 3 hours with the help of AI. "It is impossible to reduce the darshan waiting time below three hours through AI as there are several limitations at the temple. Instead, the TTD could focus it's attention on improvising the pilgrim amenities on the hill town", LV Subramanyam asserted.
Differing with the former chief secretary, TTD chaimam BR Naidu told reporters that the new trust board had resolved in November last year to integrate AI in temple services with a noble intention to reduce the inconvenience caused to the visiting devotees due to long waiting hours in the queue lines.
"The TTD has consulted global leaders in technology and AI to arrive at tailor made solutions for reducing the waiting time for darshan below three hours.
In addition, equal focus for integrating various other pilgrim services with AI to extend seamless services to the multitude of devotees arriving on a pilgrimage to Tirumala is also being explored", BR Naidu asserted.
The TTD chairman also faulted LV Subramanyam for his misleading comments on TTD's plans to adopt and integrate AI in temple services. "He has worked as TTD EO in the past and is very well aware of the inconvenience caused to the devotees who are sometimes forced to wait even for 72 hours in the queue for darshan. How can he fault the TTD which is exploring the possibilities to reduce the waiting time for Darshan with the help of AI", BR Naidu said.
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