Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly criticized Meta Platforms Inc. over repeated and inaccurate auto-translations of Kannada content on its popular platforms, Facebook and Instagram. The CM raised concerns about how flawed translations are distorting facts and potentially misleading citizens, especially when it comes to official government communications and public announcements.
In a public post on X (formerly Twitter), Siddaramaiah emphasized the risks associated with machine-generated translations, which often fail to convey accurate meanings in regional languages like Kannada. He warned that such mistakes could contribute to the spread of misinformation, especially in critical areas such as health, education, public safety, and government policies.
The issue has gained prominence amid Karnataka’s push for digital governance and regional language inclusion in technology. As Meta expands its AI and translation tools across global markets, regional governments like Karnataka are demanding greater accuracy and cultural sensitivity in automated language services.
Siddaramaiah’s media adviser, KV Prabhakar, also sent a formal letter to Meta’s India team, urging an immediate resolution to the issue. The letter outlined several instances of translation errors in government posts, where Kannada content was inaccurately converted to English or other languages on Facebook and Instagram. These errors, the state government says, could easily confuse the public and undermine trust in official announcements.
The Karnataka government is urging Meta to improve AI translation algorithms, particularly for South Indian languages like Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu, which often face issues of poor localization. Officials stressed that a vast number of Kannada-speaking users rely on social media for real-time government updates, and therefore, it is critical that translations are linguistically and contextually accurate.
With over 400 million internet users in India, many of whom prefer regional content, AI translation errors on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can have far-reaching consequences. The Karnataka CM’s stance reflects a broader concern over tech accountability, AI transparency, and the importance of linguistic accuracy in a diverse country like India.
Meta has yet to respond publicly, but the pressure is mounting as calls grow for responsible AI, improved Kannada language support, and accurate translations in Indian languages on global digital platforms.
In a public post on X (formerly Twitter), Siddaramaiah emphasized the risks associated with machine-generated translations, which often fail to convey accurate meanings in regional languages like Kannada. He warned that such mistakes could contribute to the spread of misinformation, especially in critical areas such as health, education, public safety, and government policies.
The issue has gained prominence amid Karnataka’s push for digital governance and regional language inclusion in technology. As Meta expands its AI and translation tools across global markets, regional governments like Karnataka are demanding greater accuracy and cultural sensitivity in automated language services.
Siddaramaiah’s media adviser, KV Prabhakar, also sent a formal letter to Meta’s India team, urging an immediate resolution to the issue. The letter outlined several instances of translation errors in government posts, where Kannada content was inaccurately converted to English or other languages on Facebook and Instagram. These errors, the state government says, could easily confuse the public and undermine trust in official announcements.
The Karnataka government is urging Meta to improve AI translation algorithms, particularly for South Indian languages like Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu, which often face issues of poor localization. Officials stressed that a vast number of Kannada-speaking users rely on social media for real-time government updates, and therefore, it is critical that translations are linguistically and contextually accurate.
With over 400 million internet users in India, many of whom prefer regional content, AI translation errors on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can have far-reaching consequences. The Karnataka CM’s stance reflects a broader concern over tech accountability, AI transparency, and the importance of linguistic accuracy in a diverse country like India.
Meta has yet to respond publicly, but the pressure is mounting as calls grow for responsible AI, improved Kannada language support, and accurate translations in Indian languages on global digital platforms.
