In post-coup Myanmar, generative AI is not simply diffusing unevenly—it is being shaped by state repression, infrastructural collapse, and parallel education systems emerging under conflict. UNESCO’s 2023 Guidance for Generative AI in Education and Research states that ethical integration is essential to ensure accessibility, narrow the digital divide, and prevent discrimination and ethical violations in learning environments. However, in the current conflicting context in Myanmar, there are a limited number of talks and discussions about GenAI. In simple terms, GenAI is used to create text, images, or code via prompts using trained patterns. In the education sector in particular, students and urban youth are generally familiar with GenAI tools, whereas many young people in rural areas perceive GenAI as a way to generate photos and videos for posting content on social media platforms. Private universities and international schools in urban areas, such as in Yangon, allow the limited use of GenAI for the students. However, many government schools and universities lack the infrastructure, capacity, and resources to use GenAI effectively. In some cases, teachers overlook the AI-generated assignments of the students, while some schools ban the use of GenAI because of concerns over plagiarism and the fear of reducing students’ academic performance.
Practical barriers also shape how GenAI is perceived among students and educators in Myanmar. Many continue to view GenAI primarily as a tool for cheating rather than as a means of supporting learning and research. There are also broader concerns that AI could undermine traditional teaching practices, reduce critical thinking, replace human instructors, and erode established academic norms. At the same time, poor internet connectivity, electricity shortages, and limited digital infrastructure continue to restrict access to GenAI tools across much of the country. Since the 2021 military coup, repeated internet shutdowns and online restrictions have further hindered the integration of digital technologies into Myanmar’s education sector. Despite these challenges, GenAI also offers important opportunities, particularly through remote access to educational resources and more personalized forms of learning. These tools may be especially beneficial for students outside formal education systems, including those involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) or pursuing informal education due to ongoing conflict and displacement. Overall, the uneven integration of GenAI reflects the broader political, infrastructural, and educational fragmentation of post-coup Myanmar.
AI readiness and gaps
At the community level, some experts and tech professionals, such as Kyaw Tun, a Burmese IT and social media influencer, are sharing AI-related educational content on Facebook. Many educational startups are also providing AI literacy training to students in Myanmar. For example, Myanmar Youth Empowerment Opportunities (MYEO), a social impact–driven Edtech organization, offers online AI literacy programs for young people. However, without formal AI policies and broader infrastructure development, these kinds of educational initiatives remain limited in scope and sustainability. Personal initiatives and youth-led programs also face significant financial and human resource constraints, relying heavily on grants and support from the international community. In particular, many lack structured courses, standardized curricula, and long-term guidance necessary to help young people use GenAI tools ethically and effectively for learning and research.
At the national level, as of May 2026, Myanmar has not yet fully enacted a comprehensive national AI policy and laws despite the ongoing discussion on developing National AI Strategy and National AI Policy under the administration of the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Defense and Security Council (NDSC). A draft AI policy was discussed at a coordination meeting in February 2025, with the aim of fostering AI development in Myanmar. It also intends to raise public awareness of AI ethics, standards, and regulations, strengthen human resources, and support more systematic engagement with the international community. However, the National Unity Government (NUG), a pro-democracy opposition government established after the 2021 coup, has not addressed that issue. Despite this national plan for AI development, existing digital laws and regulations, such as the Cybersecurity Law and the Electronic Transactions Law (ETL), tighten control over online spaces by legalizing surveillance, censorship, and penalties regarding the online activities of the people. These laws and regulations discourage civic AI innovation and hinder responsible AI development in Myanmar.
Inclusion and ethical consideration
Remote areas in ethnic regions face major AI literacy gaps due to ongoing internet restrictions, electricity outages, and armed conflict across the country. Language is also a significant barrier for some ethnic communities. Especially the ones living in urban areas in Shan or Kachin State who may have a stable internet connection, reliable electricity, and are somehow safe from current conflicts. At present, most AI models are built primarily in the English language. In the current context in Myanmar, GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini, and so forth provide Burmese language for general users. Although there are some existing initiatives like Eimi AI and TedimPost AI, which are based on Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) such as Gemini to generate content in languages of ethnic minorities in Chin State, there is a need to further develop localized, ethnic language–based AI models.
Regarding the ethical use of AI, many Myanmar students do not know how to responsibly use GenAI tools. They are unaware of plagiarism, proper citations, and disclosing the use of GenAI. Apart from students, some general users apply AI tools in creating deep fakes and AI generated content that are related to entertainment, politics, and in some cases, pornography. In particular, AI-generated songs like သိကြားမင်းကြီး ဆင်းလာပြီ ၊ မိုးကလည်း မလင်းသေးဘူးလားကွာ have been trending wildly during the 2026 Thingyan festival. Regarding politics, in March 2021, the Myanmar military council released a confession video of a detained former Yangon Chief Minister claiming to be giving gold and cash to Aung San Suu Kyi. Many people suspected that the video was a deepfake due to its unnatural voice, static face, and lip-sync issues.
Sometimes, this generated content aims to spread misinformation and carry out online scams. In addressing these problems, a few organizations, such as AFP Fact Check Myanmar is working to detect and counter the AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation. Moreover, the Padauk Classroom by Parami University has integrated GenAI into Myanmar’s disrupted education system. That program trained 200 students in AI and digital literacy over 10 weeks, equips 60 educators with ethical EdTech skills. They also supported the community schools in ethnic areas through AI-integrated self-paced online courses amid the crisis in Myanmar. Overall, this highlights the practical barriers and community-level solutions in integrating GenAI tools in Myanmar’s fragile education system.
Pathways to empowerment
At the personal level, students should learn how to independently leverage generative AI tools for personalized learning, research, coding, and problem-solving. At the same time, they should disclose the use of GenAI and ensure that it does not replace critical thinking or original analysis.
For educators, AI and digital literacy training programs should be integrated alongside the formal curriculum. Such preparation should begin already at the primary education level across the country. Furthermore, professors and teachers need to upskill themselves in the use of GenAI tools so that they can guide students more effectively. They also need to shift their mindset by embracing GenAI as a tool for educational empowerment rather than viewing it solely as a threat to traditional teaching and learning.
At the national level, the government should invest in digital infrastructure development, including permitting the limited use of satellite internet services such as Starlink in remote areas. It should also support community-based internet initiatives in remote and ethnic communities, since internet access remains a core prerequisite for exposure to generative AI technologies. Furthermore, the government should promote public–private–civic partnerships that bring together stakeholders from government, the technical community, the private sector, civil society, and academia to discuss and develop AI-related policies and regulations. Such efforts could strengthen the ongoing discussions surrounding Myanmar’s National AI Strategy and National AI Policy. In the future, relevant stakeholders should also place greater emphasis on the development of ethnic language–based AI models tailored to the needs of ethnic communities.
By systematically addressing policy gaps, ethical concerns, and practical barriers, Myanmar could gradually create conditions for the more effective integration of generative AI into its education sector, helping equip future generations with AI literacy in an increasingly digitalized global learning environment.