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Prime Minister Hun Manet on Friday urged Cambodian universities to set clear guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), rather than prohibit it while warning that students who solely rely on AI are becoming “hollow” graduates.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Asia Euro University, Hun Manet said universities around the world are modernizing the curricula to improve quality and competitiveness, with greater emphasis on research, innovation, digital and technology education.
Within that context, he said, Cambodia must also modernize the curricula to ensure graduates can compete in national and international job markets, as AI is rapidly changing how people work, study and live.
However, he warned that students and teachers should not become overly dependent on AI. Instead, they should use the technology to speed up information searches while maintaining their own ability to think critically and solve problems.
“Training that utilizes technology must use it, but not rely on it completely. Therefore, the conduct, policies, and internal regulations of educational institutions must fulfill this mission,” he said.
According to him, some students are paying less attention to teachers and using AI tools to summarize lessons instead of developing their own understanding.
“Education cannot focus solely on obtaining a degree. It must primarily train students to have the capability to think, analyze, implement, and solve problems individually and as a team,” he said.
“Otherwise, we may think we are capable, but we are actually ‘hollow’,” Hun Manet said in a likely reference to thinking abilities. That being said, the government does not intend to prohibit AI use, he adde
Rodionova Nataly, managing partner of IT Academy Step Cambodia, who has worked in IT education in Cambodia for 11 years, also supported the call for clearer guidelines.
A survey conducted by her organization among students in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang found that 83% regularly use ChatGPT, while one in three use AI daily, mainly for learning and research, she said.
However, many students do not understand how AI works, its limitations or how to use it properly, she said. She also raised concerns about the accuracy of AI in Khmer, saying limited or poor-quality data could lead to more errors and hallucinations.
“AI is a powerful tool, but only for someone who can judge well what it produces. That requires your own knowledge of the subject and the ability to think critically,” she said.
“When students use AI to brainstorm, explore and test ideas – that is great, as long as they know about risks and stay in control, and do not copy-paste answers they do not understand.”
Ker Munthit, a journalism teacher at the Department of Media and Communication (DMC) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, told CamboJA News that for journalism students, AI can be used to support research, find background information, transcribe interviews and translate statements. However, they must rely on their own thinking to process and analyze information when writing stories.
But, in some cases, Munthit added, some students also used AI to write stories, and in that case he asked them to submit the first draft. In some cases, students’ credibility has been affected.
“I have to stress that this is not a case of cheating. It cannot be called as such since we have not had any formal guidelines on AI use yet,” he said, adding that DMC is expected to introduce AI-use guidelines at the start of next year.
Although this has happened, Munthit said an outright ban would be unrealistic given their access to smartphones and the internet.
Ung Bun Y, head of the DMC, told CamboJA News that the DMC drafted its own AI policy in early 2026 and plans to officially implement it in early 2027 to guide students, lecturers and staff on the safe, ethical and responsible use of AI.
Nataly added that Cambodia can draw on international guidance from UNESCO, the European Union and the US when developing AI guidelines for schools and universities, adapting them to the local context.
She also suggested creating a national framework for AI in education.
At the same time, Nataly added that Cambodia should prioritize digital and AI literacy, and online safety in the curriculum for high school students, while making teacher training a first step alongside knowledge-sharing groups, practical guides.
“We live now at a very interesting point of time, when technology moves faster than any curriculum, so a lifelong learning mindset is no longer a choice,” she said. “I am sure AI can bring great benefits, but also risks and only when we are clear how and when and why it works, we can be successful.”
