At the Brac Presents 1st S.N. Bose National Science Festival 2025, a thought-provoking panel titled “From Gen Z to Gen AI” brought together experts from policy, academia, technology, and youth communities to explore the promises and challenges of artificial intelligence in Bangladesh. Co-organized by Biggan Adda and the Institute of Informatics and Development (IID), the session focused on bridging science and policy to ensure an inclusive and people-centric AI future.
Moderated by futurist educator Shakil Ahmed, the session opened with reflections on how rapidly AI is transforming everyday life—from how people learn and work to how they interact and access services. The panel raised important questions about whether Bangladesh’s youth will merely be users of AI or active contributors to shaping its direction. The session urged participants to consider how Bangladesh can develop AI solutions rooted in local cultures, languages, and social needs.
The conversation was informed by insights from a pre-event discussion, where educators, technologists, and youth voices highlighted key concerns around AI literacy, ethical use, and policy implementation gaps. It was observed that while AI has already become integrated into common tools and services, understanding of its implications remains limited across sectors. Participants of that dialogue also raised concerns about who benefits from AI and the risk of increasing exclusion and inequality if systems are not designed with inclusivity in mind.
Panelist Fahim Mashroor emphasized the urgency for youth to engage with AI, noting that the technology holds the potential to boost productivity, transform rural education, and offer innovative solutions to social challenges such as discrimination. Professor Md. Mamun-Or-Rashid discussed how AI can serve as an assistive tool to enhance human capacity and simplify complex tasks. Meanwhile, Sadia Hossain stressed the importance of critical thinking and adaptive skills, advocating for greater AI access and training for both students and teachers.
The discussion also touched on the future potential of quantum computing, with Tushar pointing out its power to simplify massive computations—though he acknowledged that Bangladesh has yet to tap into this area meaningfully. Professor Mosaddek Hossain Kamal underscored the need for an inclusive AI education framework, while Umama Fatima, co-founder of Biggan Adda, highlighted the role of science festivals in making science and technology more accessible to young people.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Hon’ble Chief Adviser, reflected on the strategic importance of Bangladesh shaping its own AI ecosystem rather than passively adopting external models. He stressed the need for national ownership in developing ethical and contextual AI policies that serve the people.
As Policy Partner of the event, IID reiterated its commitment to promoting evidence-based, inclusive policymaking. The organization emphasized that AI policy must not only be technically sound but also socially just and responsive to the needs of marginalized communities.
The Brac Presents 1st S.N. Bose National Science Festival 2025 brought together over 800 participants from more than 20 institutions, celebrating scientific curiosity through Olympiads, Hackathons, public speaking, and quizzes. Named after renowned physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, the festival served as a platform for young minds to connect scientific knowledge with real-world impact. The “From Gen Z to Gen AI” panel emerged as a critical space for shaping the national AI conversation, emphasizing the need for youth leadership, ethical design, and collaborative learning in building Bangladesh’s AI future.