โฆ๐ฎ๐๐๐ป๐๐๐, ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ฐ, ๐ป๐ป๐ท๐ณ, ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront of reshaping the global landscape, promising profound advancements across economies, societies, and individual livelihoods. As AI continues its rapid evolution, its transformative potential becomes increasingly evident, streamlining daily tasks, empowering human creativity, and paving the way for unprecedented innovation. In this era of digital acceleration, nations like Bhutan are seizing the opportunity to harness AI’s capabilities not only to enhance productivity and efficiency but also to foster sustainable development and elevate the well-being of their citizens.
Investing in AI is one of the strategies of the Government Technology (GovTech) Agency to tap into the opportunities and potential of AI to transform the nation and lead in the digital world. GovTechโs strategy here is to establish the AI Lab program in the country in collaboration with Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), Thimphu TechPark Limited (TTPL), and Omdena. DHIโs involvement as an implementing partner for this initiative is crucial, given its mission to strategize technology and innovation pathways to propel the nation into a tech-based economy through collaborations, research initiatives, startups, and national capacity building. This program is a first of its kind designed to cover the complete ecosystem needed for building a niche in AI.
The program was virtually launched on June 8, 2024, with 219 participants and partners joining the official launch.
“The AI lab program is designed to provide a complete experience for AI enthusiasts from building capabilities, collaborating on real-world projects with global experts, to promoting AI startups with global market access,” said the Secretary of GovTech.
The AI lab program is a 5-year project consisting of four components that will run simultaneously each year: upskilling local tech talent, establishing local Omdena chapters to bridge the gap between societal impact and AI, building scalable AI tools and solutions, and creating a startup incubator with the goal of launching a minimum of two to five global AI startups.
โBhutan is a unique country where Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product. Its primary focus on the well-being and happiness of people makes it the perfect place to build AI solutions for good. Thus, we are super excited to be part of building the AI Lab program in Bhutan and help it move towards the new ethically based AI economy while engaging the local community,โ said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omdena.
The project has built-in sustainability through the third phase focused on evaluating the overall project success and assessing operations with complete local engagement.
โThe collaboration among GovTech, Omdena, DHI, and TTPL to establish the AI Lab Program, but more significantly, the overwhelming interest from participants to be part of this journey, is a testimony that we are all committed to developing AI capacity and talent pipelines in building the next generation of industries in Bhutan. The AI Lab Program is an important component of DHIโs Innovation Strategy in building the Innovation Ecosystem for a Startup Economy,โ said the CEO of DHI.
The first AI lab program will be set up at the Bhutan Innovation and Technology Center (BITC) operated by TTPL. It is an important undertaking to fulfill TTPLโs vision to โinspire, enable, and develop Unicornsโ in the country.
โTTPL is excited to be a partner in advancing education on Artificial Intelligence in the country. We will establish an AI Development Center with support from the National Information Agency (NIA), South Korea, that will complement the AI Lab program in July. We believe these initiatives will help the country venture into the digital economy,โ said the CEO of TTPL.
The project is led by GovTech Agency in partnership with Druk Holding & Investments and Thimphu TechPark Limited as national partners and Omdena as the international partner.
GovTech is an autonomous agency under the governance cluster to drive digital transformation by using technology to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the government, transform public services to be citizen-centric, and create a safe and thriving Bhutanese digital economy.