Passengers Divided Over AI Assistant Bholu Max

Hyderabad: The introduction of AI-based railway assistant Bholu Max at the Kacheguda and Malkajgiri stations has received mixed responses from passengers, with many saying they would prefer using the AI system over human help desks, while some raised concerns about technical issues and dependence on technology.

Interactions with passengers at the stations showed that many travellers preferred the AI assistant because it provides information in 12 languages, gives voice responses and answers queries within a short time. Some passengers said the system could help during last-minute platform changes and crowded situations if more such assistants are installed at stations.

Bholu Max has been introduced to provide passengers with information related to train timings, platform numbers, arrivals, departures and other travel-related queries through voice and digital interaction.

Bhogaraju, a 60-year-old passenger travelling to Bengaluru, said the AI system could help passengers during sudden changes in train operations. “If the arrival platform of a particular train changes at the last moment, many people may miss the announcement. Also after asking a person, he might also not be able to answer, but AI, to my knowledge, catches up on the information soon, so it is easier to ask the assistant,” he said.

A group of cousins aged between 15 and 17 years travelling to Mysore said they trusted AI systems based on their experiences in other sectors. “We can rely on AI more than humans from what we have seen until now in other fields as well, because it is clear with answers all the time. That’s why we trust Bholu Max also,” they said.

Nanda, a 25-year-old passenger, said he would not depend entirely on AI assistance. “If we depend on AI all the time, when they have technical issues, ultimately it will be a mess because technical issues are inevitable, so I would not choose AI over the human help desk,” he said.

Passengers at the stations said the AI assistant could help reduce dependency on inquiry counters if it is increased in numbers and expanded to more railway stations.

Naveed Hassan