Miko AI

Miko.AI introduced an AI-powered robot designed to educate and engage children during the Google I/O Regional Connect event. The robot is developed to provide age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and regionally relevant content. Miko.AI uses Google’s Gemini model as a core quality control system, ensuring the robot’s interactions meet standards for safety and educational value. Gemini evaluates responses from Miko’s proprietary language models, simulates conversations, and identifies risks like misinformation or harmful content.

To reinforce safety, Gemini acts as a gatekeeper before any new AI content reaches young users, helping Miko.AI maintain a high bar for child-friendly digital experiences. The company’s goal is to offer a trustworthy companion that supports children’s learning in a personalized and secure manner across different regions.

Karya, another Indian startup, has built a digital work platform focused on empowering low-income communities by enabling them to build AI datasets. The platform allows workers to participate remotely and earn up to 20 times the local minimum wage. Karya uses Gemini to simplify task design and automate workflow creation in local languages through a no-code chatbot interface. It also enables users to track progress and receive updates through natural language queries.

Gemini’s integration in Karya’s system has allowed the startup to scale globally, making its platform accessible to communities around the world while prioritizing ethical AI data collection and fair compensation. This approach fosters inclusivity and reduces digital inequality by offering AI work opportunities in underserved regions.

Cropin showcased its AI platform “Sage,” designed to support agri-food businesses and governments with real-time agricultural insights. Powered by Gemini and Google Cloud, Sage combines data on weather, soil, irrigation, and cropping practices to generate actionable recommendations. The platform helps improve crop suitability analysis, food supply chain sustainability, and procurement planning.

Sage divides agricultural landscapes into grid-based formats, each with detailed data points. This empowers decision-makers to forecast yields, optimize input use, and select ideal growing regions. By translating complex agricultural data into usable insights, Sage helps increase productivity and reduce waste.

Gemini’s AI capabilities enhance Cropin’s ability to deliver location-specific, adaptive intelligence, allowing farmers and stakeholders to navigate climate risks and make better-informed decisions. Sage’s goal is to make agriculture more resilient and climate-smart while contributing to global food security.

These examples from Miko.AI, Karya, and Cropin highlight the breadth of possibilities when AI is applied with a focus on real-world impact. Whether improving education, generating income in marginalized communities, or optimizing food systems, the integration of Gemini into their products demonstrates the power of AI in solving pressing societal challenges.

Each startup’s use of Gemini underscores the importance of trust, safety, and adaptability in AI innovation. They exemplify how technology, when responsibly deployed, can serve diverse communities and enhance quality of life. Their work sets a benchmark for how localized AI solutions can drive global change.

The presence of these startups at Google I/O Regional Connect reflects India’s expanding role in the global AI ecosystem. It shows how AI can be tailored to address local needs while contributing to larger global goals like equity, sustainability, and inclusion.