As Artificial Intelligence, AI sweeps the whole world, Bhutan followed suit. According to a study, Bhutan is on the top when it comes to the use of ChatGPT, with around 15.96 per cent of the population using the AI tool. As Bhutan stands at this juncture of embracing AI while being mindful of the risks it poses, a talk on AI was held at Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival yesterday. Sonam Pelden, the co-founder of Curiouser.AI which is a company that developed an AI platform, talked about the ‘Preservation of Human Intelligence in the Age of AI’.
In her talk, Sonam touched on important aspects of AI including how AI came into existence, the risks it poses and how we can actively be a part of it among others.
“In the middle of the 20th century, computer scientists were inspired by the inner workings of the human brain and created what they called the first thinking machines. These models served as the foundations for what we know today as artificial intelligence. But it was not until last year that many of us truly awoke to the promises and dangers of AI when OpenAI released ChatGPT. Now, I am sure everyone here knows what ChatGPT is, right? It is an application that enables us to converse with a computer in a singularly human way.”
She added that current AI tools such as ChatGPT represent a significant leap, offering human-like interactions and generating content.
She said, however, it is essential to recognise that AI does not possess genuine understanding or consciousness. It only operates based on pattern recognition and data prediction.
Sonam said although it is called artificial intelligence, AI is made, built, and deployed by people. Therefore, she said, people working and the data they are feeding matters.
Sonam said that for countries like Bhutan, which may be underrepresented in global tech conversations, there is a danger of cultural erasure if AI systems are not inclusive of diverse narratives.
The talk also highlighted that over-reliance on AI can lead to diminished cognitive engagement and creativity.
“We need to ignite a national-level conversation about the role of AI in our lives. We need to inspire the revival of human intelligence where technology acts as a bridge to a more enlightened future. Just think about it for a second. Everything that we love about human civilisation is a result of our own intelligence. So, if we can amplify that using AI, it can only make our lives better.”
A few students and teachers present during the talk said they are actively using and incorporating AI in their lives.
Jigme Chokey Wangmo, a student of Dechentsemo Higher Secondary School said “So, the popular AI tool that we use in my school is Chat GPT. So, our teachers suggest that we use Chat GPT only for jotting down information for a particular topic or for some research. But when we are writing down or submitting the assignment, the submitted assignment should be written originally by ourselves, interpreted in simple understanding for ease of reading and understanding. It should be our original copy instead of just some answers or some project generated by a machine or a tool.”
Sangay Zam, a teacher at ELC High School said “So, from my perspective, especially as a young teacher who wants to see more innovation, I believe that, like the presenter said, AI, should be used extensively, but at the end of the day, after the students have finished using AI to complete an assignment, they should only use it as an example instead of using it as an end product to maybe see how to do certain things or to forego certain mundanities that can hamper their progress.”
Teachers and students from India also came to attend the session.
“So, it is beneficial for students in a way like if we get any homework about anything, any of the topics, English, Geography, we have to make any essay later so, we can go on it, we can take topics, we can craft it on our language but it is very beneficial in that,” said Hritvik Rathi, a student at Mayo College Ajmer.
“I think while discussing AI, there is a lot of negative focus on AI and we tend to forget the incredible benefits that AI brings in a lot of sectors, health sector and medical sector, education and also the world is battling with so many problems. The SDG is the Sustainable Development Goals. So, the society 5.0 concept is where technology can be used to achieve those goals by 2030. So, I think AI has much to offer. More often than not, the discussion is limited to open AI and ChatGPT which is 0.00001% of AI,” said Achal Deep Bubey (PhD), another teacher at Mayo College Ajmer.
Authors, artists, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and students from across the globe attended the festival.
The three-day Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival started on Saturday.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Tshering Zam
