𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐈-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

…𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒔.

By Sonam Choden & Lhendup Wangmo

Bhutan is taking deliberate steps to prepare its education system and workforce for an era defined by artificial intelligence (AI) and technological transformation. From classrooms to urban planning, the country is redefining what it means to educate, innovate, and govern in a technology-driven world.

With support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the project Strengthening AI Literacy among Higher Education Faculty in Bhutan is equipping educators to integrate AI into lesson planning, classroom engagement, and student support. For Dr. Abhishek Roy, Assistant Professor at the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, this is more than an exercise in technology adoption. “The first thing we need to realize is that AI systems are not thinking machines,” he said. “It’s more like a statistical approximation predicting the next word based on patterns and everything depends on the context we provide.”

Dr. Roy emphasizes that AI’s potential in classrooms depends on how it is used. “We must understand that the prompt has to be very specific. If we want precise outputs, we have to ask targeted, contextual questions,” he explained. For students, AI is already transforming learning. “If we come up with the right prompt, AI gives us everything in one go. Then we go through the information it provides and in doing so, we actually learn at the same time,” said Sonam Lhazom, a student participant.

Beyond classrooms, Bhutan is building a national innovation ecosystem that aims to go further than adoption, aspiring to creation. Phuntsho Namgay, Director of the Department of Innovation and Technology at Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), explained, “When we talk about the innovation strategy, it’s not just about adopting technologies. It’s about creating a framework that includes drivers, enablers, and facilitators and using these to solve local challenges while contributing globally.”

DHI’s technology arm, DHI InnoTech, is at the forefront of applied research in AI, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. “Our focus is on how we can use these technologies to address the country’s unique challenges and at the same time explore how Bhutan can contribute to the global AI conversation,” Namgay said. “Instead of just using AI tools, can we contribute to international discussions on the ethics and mindfulness of AI, rooted in Bhutan’s values?”

Innovation in Bhutan is not limited to laboratories. FabLab Bhutan is an open platform for collaboration among researchers, startups, and students. “The lab is designed to bring together researchers, startups, and students to work together on ideas that can have real impact. It’s not just about DHI, it’s about building something for the country that benefits everyone,” Namgay said. He stressed that Bhutan must innovate from Bhutan, creating ideas and frameworks that the world can learn from. “Our traditional wisdom, untainted and deeply human, can give us an edge in developing technology that’s ethical, mindful, and beneficial,” he said.

This forward-looking approach is mirrored in the development of Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), which combines urban planning, AI integration, and workforce development. The project manager of GMC highlighted education as a key factor for attracting residents. “One of the main determinants of people wanting to move to a special administrative region is whether they feel comfortable sending their kids to school,” he said. The city is also training a workforce to meet the demands of incoming industries, from crypto-currency enterprises to software engineering firms.

What makes GMC unique is its blank-slate advantage, allowing city planners to design AI-informed public services from scratch. “Since we’re starting from scratch, we have an opportunity to be digital-first to not have as much baggage as we would if we tried to reform existing institutions,” he explained. AI is embedded in workflows, communication, and public interfaces, ensuring that governance is efficient, transparent, and responsive.
Bhutan’s embrace of AI is not just about technology; it is about shaping a society where innovation and ethics intersect. As the country prepares its educators, students, and institutions for this new era, one message is clear: AI is not a threat to human potential; it is a partner in building it.

“Bhutan’s innovation ecosystem will grow only when all of us- government, academia, and youth- come together to build it,” Namgay said. With that vision, Bhutan is positioning itself as a nation that seeks to harness technology, wisdom, and creativity to define its future.