Itanagar, Feb 11: The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), organised a one-day AI Impact Pre-Summit Activities 2026, bringing together academicians, industry experts, technology professionals, and students from institutions across Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring areas of Assam.
The event focused on the expanding influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research, innovation, startups, governance, and digital ethics.
Addressing the gathering, RGU Vice-Chancellor Prof SK Nayak highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence in reshaping higher education, governance, and research ecosystems. He emphasised the importance of responsible AI adoption and encouraged students and faculty members to actively engage with emerging technologies.
The University Registrar Dr NT Rikam underscored the need for institutional preparedness in integrating AI-driven systems into administrative and academic frameworks. He stressed the importance of structured policies and capacity-building initiatives to ensure ethical and effective implementation.
Director of IQAC, Prof Utpal Bhattacharjee spoke on maintaining quality benchmarks and the role of AI in strengthening academic processes, data-driven decision-making, and institutional accreditation standards. He noted that AI-enabled systems can significantly enhance transparency, efficiency, and performance monitoring.
Prof Marpe Sora, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, elaborated on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the integration of AI components into academic curricula. He encouraged research-driven learning and stronger industry-academia partnerships.
In his remarks, Ani Taggu, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, stated that the pre-summit aimed to sensitise students and faculty to emerging AI technologies at an early stage, with a focus on skill development, interdisciplinary engagement, and region-specific problem-solving. He added that such initiatives would help bridge the gap between academic learning, industry expectations, and the evolving startup ecosystem in the North East.
During the technical sessions, Abhijit Bhuyan, Managing Director of Bohniman, demonstrated an AI-enabled project prototype and highlighted the startup potential of North East India, particularly Arunachal Pradesh. He encouraged students to identify local challenges and develop technology-driven solutions, while outlining funding opportunities under Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) initiatives.
Prof Swaroop Roy of Tezpur University traced the evolution of AI from early computational models to machine learning, large language models, and agentic AI, with special reference to next-generation healthcare and applied AI research.
A panel discussion featured Prof Swaroop Roy, Abhijit Bhuyan, Nitish Jain from BharatGen, Mumbai, Amar Sangno of the Arunachal Press Club, and Parag Jyoti Baruah from Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Itanagar. The panel deliberated on the cross-sectoral impact of AI, including concerns over deepfakes, AI-generated misinformation, ethical challenges in digital media, and language barriers in deploying AI tools across multilingual regions.
As part of the pre-summit activities, a student hackathon was organised to promote hands-on innovation, in which Saransh Yadav of Rajiv Gandhi University emerged as the winner.
The event marked a significant step towards strengthening AI awareness, ethical understanding, and an innovation-driven culture in the region ahead of the national AI Impact Summit.