The government has announced that it will provide a financial package of up to Rs1 million for each artificial intelligence (AI) project that reaches the prototyping stage.
According to official documents of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT), the scheme will be implemented through the newly planned Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, which is tasked with bridging the gap between research and industrial applications.
The documents point out that at least 400 AI projects in the academia and private sector will be funded annually, with priority for those addressing the socio-economic challenges and the key sectors identified under the National AI Policy.
The support package will be extended beyond fiscal assistance. Along with the financial backing of up to Rs1 million, the selected projects will also receive mentorship, incubation opportunities and regulatory guidance to ensure compliance with international standards. The centre will serve as a platform for connecting innovators with potential investors, increasing prospects of turning prototypes into viable commercial products.
The policy will allocate up to Rs200,000 for at least 200 research projects annually, particularly academic thesis and research work in AI. The findings will need to be published in recognised international journals and platforms, helping establish Pakistan's presence in the global AI ecosystem.
To ensure transparency, a monitoring and evaluation framework will assess the outcome of funded projects, measure their commercial viability, societal impact and contribution to the AI economy.
Internet Governance (MoIT) Director Zakir Syed said that the initiative represents a decisive step towards reducing reliance on imported technologies and promoting indigenous solutions.
By fostering applied research and nurturing talent in both the academia and private sector, he said, the government hopes to establish Pakistan as a regional hub of AI-driven innovation by 2035.
AI to reshape governance
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said that as industrial revolution reshapes societies, similarly AI would reshape governance in Pakistan.
Speaking at the third National School of Public Policy Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Public Policy and Governance, organised by the National Institute of Public Policy in Lahore on Monday, the minister said: "We can use artificial intelligence to win various 'Markas', which include Marka-e-Education, Marka-e-Health, Marka-e-Trade, Marka-e-Research and Technology."
"If we combine the wisdom of our civil service with the power of AI, we can build a Pakistan that is prosperous, inclusive and globally competitive by 2035 to realise the dream of turning the country into a $1 trillion economy," he said.
The minister underlined the need for immediately establishing an AI training centre for officers and other training centres to improve their capability. He called for working with startups, universities and the industry to co-create AI governance solutions because they require collaborative efforts. The officers must be AI literate, he said and added that the National School of Public Policy must launch an AI centre for the training of civil servants and to study how AI could be adopted fast in governance.
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