Krutrim AI, launched in 2024 as India’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is facing growing criticism for its performance limitations and censorship policies. Initially celebrated for its support of vernacular languages and nationalistic use cases, the AI has struggled to meet user expectations, raising concerns about its reliability.
Recently, several users have reported that Krutrim AI avoids answering controversial topics, instead displaying messages stating that the queries violate its terms of use. A viral LinkedIn post by Chirag Gupta, AVP of CarWale, highlighted key issues with the chatbot. When asked about Ola Scooters catching fire or certain political matters, Krutrim either refused to respond or provided heavily censored answers. In a particularly embarrassing moment, the AI mistakenly credited OpenAI as its creator, leading to quick censorship from the developers.
Critics argue that Krutrim AI lacks transparency and robustness compared to global AI leaders. While OpenAI and Chinese competitor DeepSeek continue to shape the global AI landscape, Krutrim has struggled to keep up, leading many Indians to question whether the model is truly capable of competing at an international level.
Despite its ambitious launch, Ola’s AI model still has significant ground to cover in terms of accuracy, transparency, and user trust. As AI adoption grows in India, Krutrim must address these challenges to maintain credibility and relevance in an increasingly competitive market.