ICT Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam on Tuesday has stressed the need for trust, capacity-building and international cooperation to ensure responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector.

“The key question is not simply how quickly we adopt AI, but how wisely, responsibly and inclusively we govern and regulate it,” he said, according to a press release.

He made these remarks while addressing the inaugural session of an interregional conference titled “AI Governance in Practice: Practical Use Cases, Institutional Capacity, Innovation at Scale and Global Cooperation” in Istanbul.

The two-day conference, being jointly arranged by Korea, Türkiye, the Astana Civil Service Hub and UNDP, brings together ministers and senior officials from countries across the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, along with representatives of UNDP and international development partners.

The Minister said AI is no longer merely a technology of the future, as it is already transforming government decision-making, public services and development processes.

He identified trust, capacity-building and international cooperation as three fundamental principles for effective AI governance.

Referring to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s remarks at the UN General Assembly, he said AI should not create new forms of inequality but should instead help address existing disparities.

“Let us ensure that today’s digital divide does not become tomorrow’s AI divide,” he added.

He also called for greater technology transfer, skills development and affordable access to modern technologies to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared more broadly.

The Minister expressed hope that the conference would create a platform for innovation, trust and inclusive technology where no country is left behind.

He reaffirmed Bangladesh’s strong commitment and support for the initiative