AI in Bhutan: why Princess Wangchuk is building an AI center
Dec 14, 2023
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Princess Wangchuk discusses establishing an AI center in Bhutan to bring 'Ancient Wisdom & Ethics' to AI. Topics include AI and drones in the US military, AI in agriculture and transportation, AI applications in elder care and renewable energy, and the challenges and opportunities of AI infrastructure in Bhutan.
The Bhutanese Royal Family has established an AI center to promote happiness by applying AI in various sectors and incorporating ethical considerations.
The AI Center in Bhutan aims to address challenges and create new opportunities by leveraging AI in agriculture, healthcare, and education, and is actively seeking international collaboration to support its initiatives.
Deep dives
Applying AI to Measure Happinness in Bhutan
The Royal Family in Bhutan has established an AI center with the goal of using AI to further promote happiness in the country. The center aims to apply AI in various sectors, including agriculture, mental health care, and renewable energy. Bhutan's unique approach to measuring progress through the Gross National Happiness index, rather than focusing solely on GDP, inspired the initiative. The center also emphasizes the importance of ensuring ethical and moral considerations in AI development. The government and investors have shown interest in supporting the project, which aims to train local engineers and collaborate with international experts. The center's first projects include developing ethical standards for AI, implementing AI in mental health care, and optimizing renewable energy solutions.
Overcoming Challenges and Creating Opportunities
One of the challenges Bhutan currently faces is limited access to certain resources and markets due to its geographical location and infrastructure. However, the center sees AI as a valuable tool to address these challenges and create new opportunities. For example, AI can improve agriculture practices by optimizing transportation logistics, enabling local farmers to compete with imported goods. AI can also enhance access to healthcare and education by providing AI-based companions to address mental health concerns and language translation for more effective communication. The center aims to foster collaboration between local startups, international experts, and government stakeholders to leverage AI's potential for positive change.
Promoting Ethical AI Development
The AI Center in Bhutan recognizes the importance of promoting ethical AI development. They believe that before any AI is used for human consumption, it should undergo comprehensive checks and balances to ensure ethical standards are met. The center seeks to establish guidelines and standards for AI ethics, requiring AI models to pass through approval processes similar to professional engineering certifications. Moreover, the center aims to emphasize long-term benefits for AI trainers, such as royalties and incentives to encourage their involvement in developing and training AI models. By prioritizing ethics, the center aims to build a foundation for responsible AI development and adoption.
Collaboration with International Partners
The AI Center in Bhutan is actively seeking collaboration with international partners, including global tech companies and organizations like the United Nations. They aim to gather expertise and resources to support the center's initiatives. The center intends to establish partnerships with renowned institutions known for their AI research and expertise, such as Google and Microsoft. By fostering international collaboration, the center hopes to learn from global best practices and implement AI solutions that are culturally and contextually relevant to Bhutan.
You’ve probably heard of Bhutan, and you may have heard of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness measurement, which is about measuring how happy a country is as well as how wealthy a country is.
Now the royal family in Bhutan is establishing an AI center to teach AI to locals ... and maybe bring Bhutan happiness -- and ethics -- to AI. To bring, as the princess puts it, "Ancient Wisdom & Ethics" to artificial intelligence.
In this TechFirst, I chat with Enrique Hernandez about his and Princess Wangchuk's goal of bringing an AI center to Bhutan.
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Wangchuk AI Center
https://wangchukai.com/
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