Bengaluru: Bengaluru will host a seven-day artificial intelligence festival from March 1-7, 2027, with rural communities and youth at the centre of the event.The festival is being organised by Karantaka-based AI intiative JanAI and curated by event curation firm MMActiv. It is expected to draw more than 1 lakh participants, including over 5,000 delegates at the main three-day event from March 4-6, said JanAI in a statement.March 1-3 will feature more than 50 community events across 25-plus venues in Bengaluru, followed by networking and Bengaluru experience events on March 7, the statement added.“JanAI Vishwa Utsav is our attempt to change the conversation around AI, from AI being somethingthat happens to people, to something that people actively shape,” said Madan Padaki, founder ofJanAI and convener of the event.A national roadshow covering more than 50 rural districts will begin in Wardha on October 2, this year. JanAI aims to build a network of 10,000 Rural JanAI Ambassadors across 100 districts in 16 states.The festival will focus on AI applications in agriculture, healthcare, education, skilling, financial inclusion, MSMEs, tourism and governance. It will bring rural youth, farmers, women entrepreneurs, artisans and teachers together with technology companies, startups, investors, policymakers and global AI leaders.A JanAI initiative received about 6,206 responses from 28 states and 221 districts. Jobs and economic opportunity emerged as the top expectation from AI, followed by education, farming and healthcare. Villages accounted for 63% of the responses and small towns for 15%, the statement said.