As Bangladesh is deemed already falling back in preparation, experts at a Dhaka meet Thursday made a wakeup call for resetting curricula and skills building processes to cope with AI and 4IR advances that are rendering traditional workforce obsolete.
They said fast development of Information Technology (IT) created scope for adopting technologies to fit in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the country by addressing the associated challenges.
To that end, they laid importance on reflection of the challenges on policies as it needs changes in the traditional educational system to data compilation with new arithmetic.
Bangladesh is still "in infancy in adopting 4IR and AI despite its scope is created in various sectors like health and IT", the speakers also observed.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in collaboration with Fredrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) organised the dialogue on 'The Future of Work in Bangladesh' to pave way for the country's preparedness for the digital age which helps reap the benefit of 4IR and AI by sector players.
CPD Executive Director Dr Fahmida Khatun chaired the dialogue addressed, among others, by former Director of Communications at United Hospital Dr Shagufa Anwar, Assistant Professor, Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering of the University of Dhaka, Dr Sejuti Rahman, Director and COO of DataSoft Systems Bangladesh Limited Mr M Manjur Mahmud, Deputy Director, Medical Services, EverCare Hospital, Dr Arif Mahmud, Scientist of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) Dr Wasif Ali Khan, Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Dhaka Dr Md Abdur Razzaque.
Professor and Head, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Prof Syed Akhter Hossain, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering & Director, NSU Startups Next, North South University (NSU), Prof Md. Shazzad Hosain and Vice-Chairperson of Public Health Foundation Bangladesh Dr Taufique Joarder also spoke.
CPD senior research associate Syed Yusuf Sadaa and programme associate Nadia Nawrin presented separate CPD study papers highlighting transformation of healthcare in 4IR and AI and its impact on IT sector.
Mr Razzaque said to reap the benefit of rapid changes in technology, huge investment in education is necessary and traditional educational system needs to shift towards skill base, technology base and innovation to utilise human brains.
"Day by day, technologies are getting complex and global competition on job market is changing rapidly, which are needed to customize," he told the meet.
Highlighting scope of 4IR and AI in synchronising data, including on patients, for transforming those into information for use in all kinds of activities, including research, Dr Segufa Anwar laid importance on developing central platform for making those inter-operative for making people, including patients, beneficiary.
She said such 4IR and AI technologies ensure access of patients to right information needed.
Manjur Mahmud said the government has opportunities to use the NID to keep record of all related data and information, including healthcare, as 4IR technologies can provide many scope for the health-service sector.
Presenting the CPD paper on transforming Bangladesh's healthcare in the 4IR, Syed Yusuf Saadar said 4IR is likely to bring changes in the existing healthcare system by increasing speed of service, improving the ability to manage illness and changing the role of patients and relationship with the service-providers
"To reap the benefit of the revolution, significant investments in technology from the government, private sector and international partners is required to improve the quality and increase affordability of healthcare," he said.
The Senior Research Associate suggested adopting blockchain-based electronic health-record system for building electronic health-record system
The study paper on AI and its impact on IT services showed that as technology disrupts the labour market in terms of displacing workers, emerging automation and cutting-edge technology are deemed as a threat to its human counterpart, coordinated efforts from employers to government are essential to address the challenges.
Enhancing the skillsets of the workforce is vital in the preparation for the digital age as well as necessary policy actions should be adopted for optimizing the 4IR, Nadia Nawrin added.
smunima@yahoo.com