Ethics vital to the future of AI education

Artificial intelligence (AI) education in Bangladesh must be grounded in strong ethical principles; otherwise, the country risks falling further behind in the global technology race, speakers warned at a recent roundtable in Dhaka.

According to them, AI adoption has become essential for Bangladesh, as the technology is transforming productivity, governance and industrial competitiveness. 

At the same time, they cautioned that the country is lagging in meaningful use of AI while misuse is increasing, raising concerns that Bangladesh could again fall behind, as it did during previous waves of technological change.

The roundtable, titled “Ethical AI Readiness: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce”, was jointly organised by The Daily Ittefaq and AI Collective Bangladesh, the local chapter of a US-based global non-profit AI community platform, at the Majida Begum Auditorium of The Daily Ittefaq office in Kawran Bazar of the capital. 

Senior IT professional and expert Sami Al Islam moderated the discussion, which was chaired by Tasmima Hossain, editor of The Daily Ittefaq. 

In his welcome remarks, Mohammad Asif, convener of AI Collective Bangladesh, introduced The AI Collective and outlined its mission and objectives. 

He said the organisation is building a community that prioritises ethical guidelines in AI development and use. 

A strong partnership between the information technology industry and academia is crucial to address the gaps in AI education, he said.

Bangladesh needs a workforce that is not only technically proficient but also ethically aware in developing and deploying AI systems, he added. 

Presenting the keynote paper, Khondkar Ehsanur Rahman, vice president (Data Science and AI) at Prime Now (digital bank), said AI adoption has become indispensable for Bangladesh, as it is bringing fundamental changes to productivity, governance and competitiveness in the information technology industry. 

Referring to global and national trends in AI expansion, he said Bangladesh must urgently develop skilled and ethical professionals capable of deploying AI responsibly. 

Hands-on skills, a firm grounding in ethics, and robust industry–academia collaboration are essential to prepare students for real-world AI applications, he added.

Tasmima Hossain said public awareness about artificial intelligence must be increased, particularly among women and children, who are often the most affected by false, fragmented and misleading information on social media. 

The media has a critical role to play in this regard, she said. 

She added that concise and easy-to-understand guidance on both beneficial and harmful AI-generated content should be widely disseminated, enabling people to navigate the online information environment better.

In her intervention, she also underscored the importance of placing AI within a broader social context so that technological innovation does not come at the expense of human dignity, safety and rights.

In the concluding session, Mohammad Asif said the information technology industry, academia and other stakeholders must work together to support the country’s evolving AI ecosystem. 

Only through joint efforts, he said, can Bangladesh collectively guide the future direction of AI to ensure human welfare and social safety.

The discussion featured contributions from Professor Dr Syed Akhter Hossain of UCSI University’s Bangladesh branch campus; Professor Md Hakikur Rahman, chairperson of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at International Standard University; and Professor Dr Dip Nandi, associate dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at American International University–Bangladesh (AIUB). 

Professor Sakkhar Shatabdi of the Department of CSE at Brac University and Professor Salekul Islam of the Department of CSE at North South University also spoke at the event.

From the industry, the event was attended by Hasib Mustabsir, chief executive officer and managing director of RedDot Digital Limited; Forkan Bin Quasem, managing director of Spectrum Engineering Consortium Limited; Shahzada Redwan, director of Field Nation Bangladesh; Md Aminul Islam, head of card and digital payment operations at NCC Bank PLC; and Ehsanur Rahman, vice president (Data Science and AI) at Prime Now (digital bank). 

AI Collective Bangladesh is the local extension of a global network dedicated to promoting the ethical and responsible development of artificial intelligence and to supporting an AI ecosystem that serves human flourishing.