FNCCI, Robotics Association of Nepal host workshop on AI technology

KATHMANDU: ICT Development Committee of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN) hosted a workshop on AI technology on Friday.

The workshop with the title ''Brainstorming Workshop on AI: Public Private Partnership on Artificial Intelligence'' was held at the FNCCI secretariat in Teku, Kathmandu.

FNCCI Senior Vice President Anjan Shrestha in a welcome speech encouraged participants to contribute to Nepal's IT sector through public-private means. "Our goal is to enhance Nepal's capacity in AI technology and promote innovation in the industrial sector," he said.

Shrestha expressed his belief that the programme would provide valuable suggestions and guidelines for policies, rules, plans and projects that can leverage new technology to address economic and social issues. "This programme will play an important role in establishing the public-private partnership (PPP) model required for technology use," he said.

The use of AI technology has the potential to boost economic growth and tackle economic and social challenges. The country needs to rapidly develop and utilise robotics to keep pace, according to Shrestha. This workshop will play a key role in harnessing the latest technology and guiding us towards development and prosperity, he said.

He also mentioned that the programme will be useful in providing suggestions to stakeholders on the draft of the education policy prepared by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST).

Meanwhile, FNCCI Vice President (Commodity) Hem Raj Dhakal said, “We should identify key economic sectors for the use of AI technology and concentrate all resources on them. We need to smartly utilise areas of competitive advantage such as agriculture, tourism, energy, manufacturing, information and communication, infrastructure development, education and skill development, financial services, e-commerce, logistics, entrepreneurship and startups among others.

FNCCI Vice President (Associate) Jyotsna Shrestha stated that for a landlocked country like Nepal, it is essential to leap into economic and social development through the possibilities offered by smart technology like AI. She said, "We need to identify the problems and solution options accurately. I believe we have the basic human resources needed for technology. We should also benefit from Nepali experts living abroad or experts of Nepali origin."

On the occasion, former minister Ganesh Shah emphasized the use of technology for the improvement of the country's industrial and commercial sectors. "The private sector should be informed about both advantages and disadvantages of AI technology and should continuously encourage executive, judiciary and legislative bodies to advance in digital technology including education", he said. 

MoEST Secretary Pramila Devi Bajracharya said the government was serious about promoting the use of technology and suggested the private sector should help promote digital technology.

On the occasion, RAN President Bikash Gurung stated that Nepal is progressing in robotics. If the country can create a suitable environment, it can significantly benefit from AI technology," he said.

Various representatives from private sector, government officials, universities and colleges, and donor agencies, among other notable individuals, were present at the workshop on AI technology.