AI and Bhutan's future

A friendly roundtable at Giku-na, near the Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, hosted by Kelden Dradul Dorji and Yangchen Drolma. Technologists, educators, artists and curious minds came together to explore AI's role in Bhutan.

Guests:

• Dr. Tim Mullen — Silicon Valley neuroscientist and computer scientist, serial entrepreneur, and partner at Lionheart Ventures, which backs startups such as Anthropic and Calm. He supports Bhutan and Gelephu Mindfulness City initiatives, including as an advisor to DHI InnoTech.
• Christopher Pitcher — innovation strategist, full-systems designer and complex-problem solver, consulting for DHI and the Bhutan Innovation Forum.
• Walker Barnard — Grammy-winning cultural innovator who weaves ancestral wisdom and new technologies through music and festivals such as the Bhutan Innovation Forum and Bali Spirit Festival.

Topic: responsible AI in Bhutan and its links to spirituality, culture and the arts, plus practical uses in health and neurotech.

The session

The evening opened with half an hour of networking, followed by an hour-long roundtable and a closing half hour of idea sharing. The format was an open conversation with no right or wrong answers: the guests shared their perspectives and every attendee was invited to push back and contribute. It was pitched at everyone, from people new to AI to experts, and 43 people registered on Luma.

What people said

"Kelden Dorji's thoughtfully curated AI roundtable showed how Bhutan can convene deep, cross-cultural conversations at the intersection of technology, neuroscience, and mindfulness."

— Pallavi Majumdar, policy communication and youth advocacy across India, Bhutan and UNICEF country programmes, original post

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