Pakistan introduces national AI strategy for enhancing innovation, creating jobs, and ensuring ethical leadership
Pakistan has announced its first National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, aiming to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy by 2025. The policy is structured around a six-pillar framework, focusing on ethical and inclusive AI adoption to drive technological advancement, economic growth, and societal benefits.
AI Innovation Ecosystem
A key component of the policy is the establishment of a National AI Fund (NAIF) by permanently allocating 30 percent of the R&D Fund managed by Ignite. This fund will support AI startups, research, and commercialization, alongside the creation of AI Centres of Excellence in major cities like Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.
Human Capital Development
The policy targets training one million AI professionals by 2030. Thousands of scholarships will be awarded annually, and paid internships will be promoted to encourage AI literacy across all social strata, including women, youth, and differently-abled individuals.
Ethical and Secure AI Use
To ensure responsible, ethical AI use and public trust, the policy introduces regulatory sandboxes, cybersecurity protocols, transparency frameworks, and data protection policies. These measures align with global standards and aim to safeguard data privacy and human rights.
Sectoral Transformation
The policy prioritizes AI adoption in critical sectors like health, education, agriculture, governance, and public services. This includes the development of 50,000 AI-driven civic services and 1,000 local AI products within five years.
Infrastructure and Resources
The policy emphasizes the development of a national compute grid, centralized datasets, AI hubs, and cloud-based resources to support scalable AI innovation and deployment.
International Collaboration
The policy promotes global partnerships, cross-border research cooperation, and alignment with international AI norms and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, linking with initiatives like "AI for Good."
Other Initiatives
The policy also includes expanding ICT exports, supporting freelancing, and establishing a "Quantum Valley" for high-tech innovation. Crypto users in Pakistan are projected to surpass 27 million by year-end, with digital asset revenues approaching $1.6 billion. In May, Pakistan announced a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, committing to hold bitcoin in a sovereign wallet without plans to sell.
The implementation of the policy will be overseen by an AI Council chaired by the federal IT minister. The "Uraan Pakistan" National Economic Transformation Plan (2024-29) prioritizes digital transformation in Pakistan. The policy establishes Centers of Excellence in AI in major cities and emphasizes responsible and ethical use of AI in line with global standards.
The policy aligns with the "AI for Good" initiative of the International Telecommunication Union and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Virtual Assets Act, 2025, created the Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) to license and oversee crypto businesses under FATF-aligned standards. Pakistan established the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) in March 2025 to shape blockchain policy and digital asset regulation.
This comprehensive AI policy is a significant step towards Pakistan's digital transformation and its vision for sustainable development and ethical governance.
Read also:
- Elon Musk accused by Sam Altman of exploiting X for personal gain
- Tech tycoon Elon Musk alleges Apple is preferring OpenAI, sparking potential lawsuits contemplation
- China's Automotive Landscape: Toyota's Innovative Strategy in Self-Driving Vehicles
- Fragrance imports from Kaş might have been among Europe's earliest bottles discovered.
