Saturday, 11 July 2026 · 2:00–6:00 PM
AI Studio
Dabtong House × Pelsung
A closed gathering for people who build with AI, and the first meeting of a small community of builders we're forming in Bhutan. It featured a keynote by Joi Ito, AI demos, and a hackathon.
Why we did it
AI Studio was hosted by Dabtong House together with Pelsung, two organisations working toward the same future for Bhutan. Dabtong House is helping build the country's community of AI builders and makers. Pelsung is focused on getting Bhutan ready for what's next, and sees AI at the heart of that future. We turned that shared intent into a room full of like-minded people.
It was small and selective on purpose, not an open workshop. The aim was to find the people already doing real things with AI, put them in one room, and keep that group going long after the day.
How the afternoon went
The room opened with a keynote from Joi Ito, then moved into live AI-workflow demos from builders in the room. The afternoon finished with an open-theme hackathon, and the day carried on over a group dinner.
What got built
A few of the projects and demos from the day:
- PlanWise: a lesson-plan generator for university lecturers.
- Hello Thimphu: a community app for what's happening around Thimphu.
- GMC Emergency Response - Voice SOS: connects people with responders in real time during an emergency.
What comes after
AI Studio isn't a one-off. It's the start of a community of AI builders in Bhutan: people who keep sharing and building together after the day, and who can plug into Dabtong House's broader fellowship and community work. Come help shape what it becomes.
Stay in touch
We're keeping this community going. To hear about the next gathering, or with any questions, email kuenga@dabtonghouse.org.