Shaza, Google team focus on AI
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja met with Google's Regional AI Developer Ecosystem and Communities team to explore strategic collaboration in advancing Pakistan's artificial intelligence landscape.
The Google team provided an overview of their developer ecosystem in the region, highlighting the contributions of Google Developer Groups (GDGs), community-based AI initiatives and impactful platforms like Taleemabad. The discussion focused on expanding community-driven innovation and AI adoption across Pakistan.
During the meeting, the minister also had an interactive session with the N+1 team, a group of young Pakistani developers recently selected among the global top 10 in the Google Solution Challenge. The team represented Pakistan at the regional showcase in the Philippines.
Minister Shaza Fatima praised their achievement, noting it as a testament to the country's emerging talent pool and the importance of nurturing such success stories through structured support and mentorship.
In the wider policy discussion, the minister emphasised the government's strategic focus on AI training across three critical domains: mainstream education (from KG to university), workforce development including freelancers and industrial innovation. She stressed the need for inclusive access to tools such as the AI Seekho programme, sandbox environments and cloud credits.
Separately, the federal IT and telecom minister chaired a high-level meeting on the Faculty AI Training Programme, developed in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Meta and NCEAC.
The minister termed the initiative a model of public-private-academic synergy aimed at preparing Pakistan's higher education sector for the digital future. The programme introduces a two-track approach – AI soft skills training for over 1,000 non-technical university faculty and AI hard skills certifications – including Meta's LLaMA credentials via Coursera – for 250-500 technical faculty, across Pakistan.
The minister emphasised that AI was not just a technical tool but a transformative force across sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture and governance. She assured them of the IT ministry's full support for the programme's nationwide rollout, policy alignment and integration with the forthcoming National AI policy and other digital skill initiatives.