# Bengaluru engineer builds AI tool to spot potholes and fix responsibility 2026-08-17T12:31:09+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Bengaluru-based engineer Gaurav Sen has built an AI-powered system that detects potholes using a dashcam and accelerometer fitted in a car, and then identifies the contractor responsible for fixing them. The system processes collected footage with AI vision models and cross-references it with government tender data to locate the contractor and officer accountable for each stretch of road. Times Now reports that Sen demonstrated the tool in an Instagram video made with ChatGPT India. The system can process 2,900 government contracts and produce an organised record within four seconds, including photographs, location, tender details and the responsible officer's name. Deccan Herald reports that the tool is designed to go beyond simple detection, as Sen processed government tender data to map road stretches to maintenance contracts. Sen tested the system during his commute and spotted 12 potholes, which he said could be used to file formal complaints with government bodies. The system could be especially useful when a road is under warranty, allowing repairs by the contractor at no extra cost to the state. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both Times Now and Deccan Herald report the same facts in neutral, wire-service style, with no editorial slant. Times Now provides more operational detail, such as the four-second processing time and the use of Codex and OpenAI, while Deccan Herald is more concise. Neither source questions the tool's effectiveness or raises potential limitations, such as data accuracy or government responsiveness. A careful reader should note that while the tool promises accountability, its real-world impact depends on whether civic bodies act on the complaints it generates. Watch for official reactions or pilot programmes from Bengaluru's municipal authorities. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - timesnownews.com (neutral report) Straightforward reporting of the engineer's claims and technical details, no editorialising. - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Concise neutral report focusing on the tool's core function and data source. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-19T13:12:37+00:00. Tags: Bengaluru, ChatGPT, Gaurav Sen, OpenAI Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bengaluru-engineer-builds-ai-system-to-spot-potholes-assign-blame/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bengaluru-engineer-builds-ai-system-to-spot-potholes-assign-blame/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/