Bangladesh has taken a significant step in its pursuit of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into key sectors of its economy with the release of a readiness assessment report.
In an official disclosure, Bangladesh marks the first comprehensive attempt to roll out a blueprint for AI adoption. The readiness assessment report, a collaboration among the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and Bangladesh, provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s preparedness for AI.
A recent report noted that Bangladesh has strong foundations in e-government, with a majority of citizens demonstrating trust in government digital services. Building on the foundation and public trust, the report predicts that government initiatives designed to trigger AI growth will succeed.
However, it warns of several areas of concern in Bangladesh’s attempt to introduce AI, including an urban-rural digital divide, sparse high-end computing capacity, uneven data connectivity, and intermittent power supply.
The report emphasised the importance of stricter data protection rules and the need to deepen the local talent pool to support the transition to emerging technologies. Going forward, the report highlighted the need for sector players to develop high-quality datasets in their native languages and other minority languages, while also reducing gender discrimination in AI adoption.
“This report gives us a picture of where we stand and what we must prioritise so that AI strengthens public institutions, not replaces human judgment, and protects citizens instead of exploiting them,” said a government official.
The readiness assessment aligns with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, with several key stakeholders participating in the development. Last year, UNESCO signalled its intention to assist Bangladesh in developing ethical AI, making a case for a cautious approach to regulation.
“Whether AI narrows or widens gaps will depend on the choices countries make now,” said Stefan Liller, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh. “Strengthening connectivity, skills, data, and compute infrastructure, building trustworthy regulatory and governance frameworks, and tailoring AI strategies to national capacity will all play a decisive role.”
Inching toward digitisation in a steady fashion
Bangladesh has enacted data protection laws as a key step in its quest to enhance the privacy and digital security of its citizens, thereby priming the ecosystem for wholesale digitisation. Previously, the country spent over $208 million to train graduates in blockchain and other emerging technologies.
Meanwhile, UNESCO is leading the way in assisting countries with their AI blueprints. The organisation has since launched an open consultation on global AI governance, following successes in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
