Public services
More capable systems will touch how people reach information, benefits, and everyday government services. Preparation is how those services stay understandable and accountable.
◇ SUPERINTELLIGENCE
Preparing Government for Superintelligence
Personal views, not official positions of the Government of Nepal.
I am a civil servant in the Office of the Hon. Finance Minister, Ministry of Finance, Nepal. Training with the ITU on AI governance, and with Oxford on AI and digital transformation for government, shapes a personal view: governments — including in countries like Nepal — should start preparing now for advanced AI and the possibility of superintelligence.
This is not a forecast that such systems are imminent, and it is not a warning to stop useful AI. It is a case for doing the quiet institutional work early, while there is still time to choose how public systems adopt more capable tools.
Why it matters for Nepal
Economy and jobs
Work, skills, and small firms will feel the shift. A smaller economy stays in the conversation by building capability, not by waiting to see what others decide.
Data and compute
Choices about where public data lives, who can use it, and what compute the state can rely on are sovereignty questions. They are easier to answer before dependence sets in.
The AI divide
If only a few countries shape advanced AI, others are left to adopt it on someone else’s terms. Starting now is how a country like Nepal narrows that gap.
What governments should do now
AI-ready institutions
Civil servants need the skills and the mandate to procure, question, and oversee AI — not only to watch vendors demonstrate it.
Infrastructure and data governance
Digital public infrastructure and clear rules for public data are the base. Advanced AI sits on top of identity, payments, registries, and trust — or it doesn’t serve the public.
Safety and accountability
Evaluation, audit, and a named owner when a system affects people’s rights. Safety frameworks should exist before high-stakes use, not after an incident.
A voice for smaller nations
International cooperation, including UN and ITU fora, is where norms are written. Smaller states should be in those rooms, not only downstream of the outcome.
Public compute
Some capacity should sit with the public sector — enough to evaluate systems, train people, and avoid total dependence on a single provider.
Trust, inclusion, literacy
People adopt what they can question. Inclusion and public literacy are part of readiness, not a campaign that starts after the tools are already in place.
Principles
- Human oversight
- Safety first
- Inclusion
- Transparency
- Global cooperation
Related writing and talks: Publications · Speaking · Contact.