Introduction
The Druk Journal contributes to Bhutan’s growth as a democracy and as a modern nation. It is a vibrant public space in which we encourage our contributors to expand our national discourse by introducing new ideas and concepts into the Bhutanese conversation. Through regular publications, an interactive website, and open discussions after each edition, we engage Bhutanese society in conversation so that all citizens can exchange open and frank views on national policies and issues relevant to Bhutan. The Druk Journal hopes, not only to inform citizens but to build a community of people who will take an active role, as individuals and as a community, in the development of analytical attitudes toward national policies. It is our hope that participation in such a community will encourage individuals to engage in policy research that can be made available to the government and larger Bhutanese society. The Druk Journal thus serves as a vehicle for the development of a society which is concerned about national issues and wants to participate in the development of policy by thinking publicly and through conversation. Such a community of thinkers will also draw on the experience of other countries in those areas of political, social, economic, and cultural experimentation that are relevant to our own concerns. The Druk Journal is a nonpartisan publication. Our purpose is to serve the national interest through the development of serious conversations on issues from every possible constructive point of view. We have no editorial position of our own. We believe that our stated objectives and the means we will use to achieve them are the best way in which we can serve our country and His Majesty The King. We invite all interested citizens and friends of Bhutan to join us. As we enter the 12th year of publication, we wish you Good Reading, Good Thinking, and Good Conversation.
On Our Own Terms: Bhutan’s Future in the Age of AI
Autumn 2026 Volume 12, Issue 2
Table of Contents
AI & Society
AI and Spiritual Practice
The Druk Journal Interviews Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Reflections on AI, Buddhism, Bhutan, and GMC
Chholay Namgay Dorji
Artificial Intelligence and Disability Inclusivity. Opportunities, Risks and a Bhutan – Focused Pathway to Equitable Inclusion
Pema Chhogyel
AI and Bhutanese Journalism: Towards a Human-Centred Framework
Pallavi Majumdar
AI and Creativity in the Arts — On Whose Terms?
Siok Sian Pek Dorji
Rethinking Bhutanese Cultural Heritage Painting in the Age of AI
Sagar Lepcha, Jigme Seldon, Jigme Dema
Human–AI Interfaces for Bhutan’s Rural Development: Insights from the Shingkhar Dairy Cooperative
Katsu Masaki
AI & Governance
Preparing Bhutan’s Civil Service for the Age of AI
Tshering Cigay Dorji
Law for AI and AI for Law
Ugyen Tshering
Bhutan’s Digital Future in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Tshering
Bhutan’s e-Government Transition: Progress, Gaps, and the Path Ahead
Sithar Norbu and Tshering Cigay Dorji
Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem and DHI 10X
Phuntsho Namgay
AI & Education
Rethinking Educational Technology in Bhutan: A Media Ecological Perspective
Jangchu Tenzin
Generative AI in Teacher Education: Student Teachers’ Use and Perspectives in Bhutan
Gembo Tshering
Drawing the Line: Reflections on AI and Learning
Tshering Yangki
International Perspectives
Can Bhutan Adopt AI on Its Own Terms?
Renata Dessallien
Educating for Human Flourishing in a World with Artificial Intelligence
Greg Watkins and Mike Taubman
AI on Bhutan’s Terms: Embedding Human Values into Technology
Srikanth Chandrasekaran
Credit Where Credit is Due: What Bhutan’s Intellectual and Cultural Patrimony Offers to the Global Debate about Trustworthy AI
Stephan Sonnenberg
