Bhutan’s journey toward becoming an intelligent nation has taken a major leap forward. The AI Lab Program, launched last year, completed its first year of operation. The lab is now developing two major AI tools: the DrukCare Mental Health Assistant and the Climate Sense Early Warning SMS Alert System. Both are expected to be ready by the end of this year.
The DrukCare Mental Health Assistant is a mental well-being app. With increasing mental health cases, people who would otherwise avoid seeking help might be able to get personalised support through their phones. According to the annual health bulletin 2025, at least 700 people sought medical help.
This app could be a game-changer.
“DrukCare Mental Health Assistant is an AI-powered application designed to provide compassionate, personalised, and culturally sensitive mental health support, mainly for people in Bhutan. In our country, there is still a stigma around mental health, and many cannot openly talk to a doctor. To help address this, we planned to build this tool,” said Omika Devi Karariya, Assistant ICT Officer, GovTech Agency.
The Climate Sense Early Warning SMS Alert System is a climate-focused dashboard to provide timely warnings for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and other climate risks.
The AI Lab Program is a five-year initiative. The programme focuses on upskilling, deploying AI tools, creating startups, and cultivating a vibrant AI community in the country.
“In the first year, we trained around 200 participants through our upskilling initiatives. We also launched two local chapters and conducted two innovation challenges with both local participants and international contributors. As a result, these participants developed the DrukCare Mental Health Assistant,” added Omika Devi Karariya, Assistant ICT Officer, GovTech Agency.
GovTech and its partners will continue to expand the AI Lab Program by training more participants and developing AI tools that address real-world problems.
And that is proving to be a vital bridge between innovation and national values by shaping a future where technology serves both progress and people.
Namgay Wangdi/Kinley Bidha
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
