YANGON: As the world observed World Youth Skills Day on Tuesday (July 15), this year's theme, "Youth Empowerment Through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Skills," highlighted both the growing opportunities and challenges facing young people in Myanmar.
"The use of AI is growing," said Kyi Shwin, a retired rector of Yangon University of Foreign Languages who closely follows the changes brought by AI, adding that the impact of AI is significant and far-reaching.
"It is now used by both people from urban and rural areas," he said, recalling how he recently met young boys in Shan state, eastern Myanmar, using Myanmar-language AI chatbots like DeepSeek.
"Students are more friendly with technology, more students than teachers are using AI," he said, warning that while AI adoption is accelerating, regulation has not kept pace.
"For educational institutions, AI affects every level, teachers, staff, and students. Even administrators like us aren't thinking through problems the way we used to. We've become reliant on AI. That can hurt students' analytical and critical thinking skills."
"AI can handle secondary research, but it cannot do firsthand research among people," he said.
"AI is not always accurate. Sometimes it's biased. It doesn't understand users' individual situations. So, some answers may be inappropriate."
"If AI is only used to get quick answers, those users will fall behind in the next five to 10 years. But if we keep our critical thinking and problem-solving skills while using it, we can progress alongside AI," he added, noting that some ministries and schools are working on AI policies.
Ma Aye Mar Way, a researcher at Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, said that Myanmar's youth must go beyond simply using AI. They should become creators.
"If we want to use advanced AI, we now have to pay for it. If we can build it ourselves, it's better for us."
U Aung Aung Myo, assistant director at the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, said the department is organising talks, seminars, and training programmes on AI and digital skills at universities.
However, with limited access to formal training, many young people are teaching themselves to code and learning about AI through online resources.
Some are taking the initiative to keep pace with the digital world.
In Yangon, 31-year-old Aye Min Thu said, "We are now in the age of AI. It has become essential for people and organisations. I didn't want to be left behind, so I decided to start learning a programming language a few months ago."
After months of indecision, he took the plunge, starting with Python, which is simple, accessible, and widely used in automation and machine learning.
"I figured something is better than nothing," he said.
"Now, I can build simple calculators and perform tasks like drawing charts and bar graphs using Python."
He's also enrolled in online Python courses and used platforms like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to guide his learning.
"When I get stuck, I ask the chatbot directly. It helps a lot," he said.
"Recently, I also noticed that many coding courses are being offered online for Myanmar students," he added.
For Aye Min Thu, and thousands of young people across Myanmar, AI isn't just a buzzword. It's a path toward opportunity, creativity, and control over their futures. - Xinhua
