𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲

…𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝑨𝑰 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝑵𝑯 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

By Sonam Choden

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay emphasized that Bhutan’s digital transformation is guided by the country’s development philosophy, the principles of Gross National Happiness (GNH). “Our digital transformation journey is guided by the belief that technology should uplift the well-being of our people and ensure sustainable development for future generations,” he stated.

As part of the 13th Five-Year Plan, the government is preparing to integrate emerging technologies to provide smarter and more efficient public services. Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play a crucial role across key sectors.
AI holds the potential to support socio-economic development, strengthen digital infrastructure and institutional capacity, and encourage responsible, inclusive, and culturally grounded innovation. In response, Bhutan is preparing its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) 2025. According to the Prime Minister, “We are developing our own national AI strategy which will guide how we apply AI to enhance well-being, reinforce our cultural identity, and foster inclusiveness.” The strategy aims to align AI adoption with Bhutan’s unique cultural and social values, ensuring that technological progress benefits all citizens fairly.

The draft NAIS outlines a framework across eight strategic domains where AI can contribute to sustainable and inclusive national transformation. These include agriculture and livestock, to improve food security and support rural livelihoods; tourism, to enhance visitor experiences and strengthen Bhutan’s international presence; green energy, to optimize hydropower use and support sustainable data infrastructure; education, to enable personalized learning and improve administrative efficiency; health, to strengthen diagnostics and encourage healthier lifestyles; public service delivery, to simplify interactions between government and citizens; natural resources and biodiversity, to protect environmental assets; and culture and language preservation, to safeguard Bhutan’s heritage in the digital age.

Within this framework, the Prime Minister identified hydropower, agriculture, and tourism as the national priorities for AI integration. “To strengthen our hydropower sector, we aim to build national expertise in hydropower technologies, leveraging AI to improve efficiency,” he said. On agriculture, he added, “We will use AI to boost productivity, improve crop planning, and help farmers with intelligent, data-based decision-making.” In tourism, he noted that AI can support Bhutan’s high-value, low-volume tourism model. “AI can elevate the visitor experience, helping us provide more personalized and meaningful journeys for our guests,” he said.

Ujjwal Deep Dahal, CEO of Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), stressed the importance of connecting AI deployment with Bhutan’s renewable energy strengths to promote economic growth. He referred to Bhutan’s 36 gigawatts of hydropower potential and the exploration of geothermal energy using advanced technologies. He noted that successful geothermal development, along with the production of hydrogen from surplus summer hydropower, could transform Bhutan’s energy sector. He also mentioned the role of solar energy in diversifying the country’s renewable energy portfolio. Together, these energy sources can support the development of AI data centers in Bhutan, potentially enabling the country to advance economically in the AI era.

Despite AI’s promise, Prime Minister Tobgay raised concerns about the associated risks. He warned that, if unregulated, AI “has the potential to pose a threat to all humanity.” Emphasizing the need for global collaboration and strong regulatory systems, he stated, “AI needs smart rules and wise leadership, both at home and across the globe.” He also mentioned the possibility of a “technopolar world,” in which under-resourced countries like Bhutan could be excluded from decision-making around AI, leading to greater inequality, misinformation, and social instability.

At the national level, the Prime Minister listed several risks that could arise from AI adoption. These include job losses due to automation, intellectual property challenges involving AI-generated content, social inequality caused by uneven access to AI technologies, cybersecurity threats specific to AI systems, and the erosion of cultural values through externally developed tools. He also raised concerns about misinformation and the environmental impact of energy-intensive AI infrastructure. To address these challenges, Bhutan’s AI strategy includes protective measures and principles of responsible design across its focus areas and foundational enablers.

Acknowledging the complexity of managing these issues, the Prime Minister stressed the need for multilateral cooperation. “We need partnerships, because no country can do this alone,” he said, underlining Bhutan’s intention to work with international partners to ensure a fair and safe AI future.

GovTech reported that the NAIS was developed through extensive stakeholder consultations and is scheduled for submission to the GovTech Commission for formal approval. This initiative supports Bhutan’s broader development goals, including its ambition to achieve developed-country status within the next decade and to increase its gross domestic product tenfold by 2050. Reaching this goal will require an annual growth rate of nearly 10 percent. AI-led progress in key sectors such as hydropower, agriculture, and tourism is considered essential to this transformation, with the potential to improve productivity, enhance public service delivery, and elevate Bhutan’s position in the international economy.

As Bhutan continues along its digital journey, the NAIS 2025 represents a strategic and thoughtful effort to integrate artificial intelligence into a development model centered on people and values. By combining technological progress with GNH principles, environmental responsibility, cultural preservation, and good governance, Bhutan seeks to establish itself as a responsible and ethical participant in the global AI landscape.