Bangladesh needs to create a knowledge base on artificial intelligence (AI) and train people to implement the knowledge, a speaker said at a roundtable.

"We need to create a knowledge base, and train people. Having only AI experts does not work; people should be trained to implement the knowledge, and we are not working in this space yet – it starts from the experts who ideate solutions, all the way down to root-level workers," Hosna Ferdous Sumi, senior private sector specialist for finance, competitiveness and innovation at the World Bank, said while discussing the reactive nature of current policy-making processes in relation to AI.

She was speaking at a roundtable, styled "Digital Policy Landscape of Bangladesh: Balancing Innovation and Regulation", at Crowne Plaza in the capital recently.

International management consulting firm LightCastle Partners organised the event in association with The Daily Star, according to a press release.

Sumi highlighted the need for a more proactive approach to integrate AI across various value chains, including export diversification and readymade garment production lines.

Meenara Khondker and Rafsan Zia, business consultants at LightCastle Partners, jointly delivered the keynote presentation, which provided an overview of Bangladesh's digital policy frameworks with a specific focus on AI, Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms and data privacy.

The keynote highlighted the importance of considering international best practices and provided five key policy recommendations: invest in local AI infrastructure, adopt secure data practices, establish independent OTT platform governance, promote AI literacy, and foster interoperable digital ecosystems.

Oli Ahad, founder of Enterprise Tech, emphasised the urgent need for Bangladesh to align with rapid global AI advancements.

"AI hasn't achieved product-market fit in Bangladesh. The need to persuade people to use AI services shows a lack of market readiness," he said

He stressed the importance of strategic intentions to maximise the benefits of AI, warning that Bangladesh risks falling behind without proper adoption.

Fahim Ahmed, chief executive officer of Pathao, voiced concerns over the premature drafting of AI policies.

"We need to work on fundamental hygiene issues before we can get into drafting or debating AI policies," Ahmed said.

He recommended a cautious approach to AI legislation, suggesting a period of observation and learning.