Prepare our youth for the AI economy

As artificial intelligence continues to rapidly transform economies, workplaces and education all around the world, experts at a recent roundtable in Dhaka have rightly pointed out that the country’s success in the AI era will depend not simply on expanding digital access but on building the skills, institutions and innovation ecosystem needed to productively use this technology. The question is: where do we stand in this preparedness? The roundtable revealed that nearly 90 percent of our young people use AI mainly for social media and entertainment, not to acquire skills to meet the present job market demands. This is a worrying trend considering the fact that around 22 lakh young people enter the country’s labour market every year. If this skills gap is not closed quickly, our youth face the risk of being left behind in an increasingly AI-driven job market.

Experts said Bangladesh needs to turn its digital readiness into AI capability in order to keep up with the market demands. We could not agree more. However, doing so requires an education system that develops critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and ethical judgement alongside AI literacy. Universities must update their curricula, train faculty members, and introduce clear guidelines for responsible AI use. As AI becomes integrated into almost every profession, these skills will be just as important as technical knowledge. The link between education and employment must be strengthened as well. While the graduate unemployment rate stands at 28 percent, employers in Bangladesh struggle to find employees with the skills they need. Technical and vocational education must be modernised, universities must work more closely with the industry, and workers should have opportunities to upgrade their skills throughout their careers. These reforms are essential if graduates are to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving job market.

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In this regard, the government’s plan to formulate a national AI policy and expand technical and vocational education is a welcome step. We must also aim to become more than a consumer of imported AI technologies. Investing in Bangla-language datasets, applied AI research, data annotation, local innovation, and AI entrepreneurship will help build a stronger AI ecosystem in the country while creating new jobs. However, these goals can only be achieved through effective implementation. Policies alone will not build AI capability unless educational institutions, businesses and government agencies work together to develop practical skills, support research, and create opportunities for innovation.