Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is all set to embark on a week-long visit to the US from Saturday to interact with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs working in the field of artificial intelligence.



The Congress believes that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in the field of information technology after the software revolution and wants to understand the intricacies of the sector where India could make rapid strides.



During his visit, Rahul is also scheduled to deliver an address at the University of California, Berkeley on Monday next at an event organised by Institute of International Studies and the Institute for South Asia Studies.



At the event 'India at 70: Reflections on the Path Forward', Rahul is expected to present his views on the path forward for the world's largest democracy.



At Berkeley, Rahul would follow in the footsteps of his great grandfather and India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who had delivered a historic speech at the University of California in 1949.



While most of the events have been organised in consultation with Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Overseas Congress, party sources said that former prime minister late Rajiv Gandhi's friends in the Silicon Valley also took the initiative to invite Rahul to acquaint himself with the emerging frontiers in information technology.



The Congress vice president returned from a visit to Norway on Saturday where he held discussions with political leaders, businessmen and research institutions.



A section within the Congress has questioned the timing of Rahul's foreign visits which coincide with the crucial elections to Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Rahul could not attend RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's 'BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao' rally as well as a farmers' rally organised by the Gujarat unit of the Congress in the run-up to the elections.



On Monday, Rahul was in Gujarat to launch the party's campaign for the year-end assembly elections. He is also expected to meet disgruntled leaders from Bihar and attend a farmers' rally in Parbhani in Maharashtra on Friday.