Bangladesh AI Readiness: Perspectives from the Academia, Industry, and Government

TL;DR

This paper examines Bangladesh's AI readiness by analyzing educational, industrial, and policy factors through qualitative methods, revealing gaps in curricula, resources, and ethics, and proposing pathways for inclusive AI development.

Contribution

It provides an empirical, multi-method analysis of Bangladesh's AI ecosystem, highlighting structural barriers and offering actionable strategies for responsible AI integration.

Findings

Outdated curricula and limited faculty training

Gender disparities and lack of AI ethics education

Insufficient computing resources and infrastructure

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness in the Global South extends beyond infrastructure to include curriculum design, workforce development, and cross-sector collaboration. Bangladesh, ranked 82nd in the 2023 Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index, exhibits significant deficits in technology capacity and research ecosystems, despite strong governmental visions. While HCI and ICTD research have explored digital inclusion and responsible AI, little empirical work examines how educational, industrial, and policy domains intersect to shape readiness. We present a multi-method qualitative study of AI readiness in Bangladesh, combining institutional analyses, 59 stakeholder interviews, and curriculum benchmarking against global exemplars. Findings reveal outdated curricula, limited faculty upskilling, inadequate computing resources, entrenched gender disparities, and the near-total absence of AI ethics instruction. We contribute empirical mapping of current practices, identification of structural and cultural barriers, and actionable pathways for embedding human-centered, inclusive, and responsible AI practices into national agendas, advancing equitable innovation in emerging AI ecosystems.