The ministry has taken forward the process of establishing a Center of Excellence in collaboration with universities and research institutions, in accordance with the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, 2082.
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The National AI Center was recently inaugurated at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Now, preparations have begun to move forward with discussions with various universities and research institutions to establish AI Excellence Centers across the country, according to the Ministry's Information Technology Division.
The ministry has taken forward the process of establishing excellence centers in collaboration with universities and research institutions in accordance with the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, 2082. Joint Secretary Aadesh Khadka, the head of the division, said that discussions will be held with educational institutions including Tribhuvan University (TU) and Kathmandu University (KU) from next week regarding the establishment of excellence centers.
The then KP Sharma Oli-led government had approved the AI policy in July to encourage the responsible use of AI technology. The policy states that an AI Regulatory Council will be formed to prepare AI-related standards and regulate this sector. It states that an AI center will be established in the Ministry of Communications to manage and facilitate AI. Chapter 3 (10.3) of the policy states that AI excellence centers will be established in the federation, provinces and municipalities, universities and research and development bodies for the study, research, development and use of AI.
Accordingly, the National AI Center and the AI Council were established in the ministry this week. Communications Minister Jagdish Kharel had said during the inauguration that the National AI Center, which was started from a small room within the ministry, will make a major contribution to the AI sector in Nepal. After the establishment of the center, the ministry is preparing an action plan for the next three months. “Initially, we are making a blueprint for what we will do in the next three months,” he said.
The process of making standards and guidelines related to AI has now begun. The center is currently working on making an action plan or blueprint on how to take it forward. According to him, the center will work as the secretariat of the AI Council, make action plans, and coordinate on AI issues. Training and finding resources will also be done for the coming year.
The role of the AI Council and the center has been specified in the AI policy. The council will mainly act as an advisory and supervisory body, it is a higher body. It will include secretaries and experts from various ministries. The AI Center will act as the secretariat of the council and will remain as an operational unit. The center will carry out the activities directed by the council on a daily basis. Currently, the work of human resource management at the center is also in the initial stage. According to Joint Secretary
Khadka, the ministry is also taking forward its Organization and Management Survey (O&M) process. For now, a small unit of five people brought in from the Information Technology Division and other branches is working. Realizing that the center will face challenges in finding expert staff since it is a new field, the ministry is also planning to outsource or collaborate with university faculties and researchers.
Minister Kharel is excited about the AI Center. During the inauguration of the center, he had expressed the view that Nepal has moved forward on the path of Digital Nepal with its establishment. ‘This is the beginning of the AI Center, we will continue to take it forward,’ he said, ‘The AI policy has arrived.’ He had expressed confidence that AI would add to the message of good governance and corruption control, employment and innovation during the Gen-G movement. He said that the center aims to facilitate the work of the public and private sectors through digital means.
However, Joint Secretary Khadka admitted that there are challenges in resource and human resource management. However, according to him, the Ministry of Finance has also assured that there will be no budget shortfall as this is an important area.
