Pakistan has introduced an ambitious National AI Policy aimed at building a $2.7 billion domestic AI market in five years. It is based on six main pillars: innovation, skills, secure and ethical use, sector transformation, infrastructure and international collaboration.
Policymakers say they intend to prioritize public funding, clarify points on data usage, intellectual property (IP), taxation and define financial policies under this framework.
Secure AI ecosystem
AI cybersecurity systems shared across institutions are to be deployed to protect digital infrastructure. An AI ethics board is to be formed to oversee data privacy: The AI Directorate.
They put emphasis on transparency and human oversight in AI operations across public and private sectors, and plan to achieve this through the introduction of a public register of AI systems which would allow citizens to access information about the ways AI is used.
Additionally, an open-source AI governance framework —a collection of open-source tools and frameworks for implementing AI governance in organisations — is proposed with international data protection standards. They also state the need of a national data security policy that outlines current security standards, what is lacking, and how to keep ourselves protected.
The AI Directorate, in collaboration with CoEs, would establish regulations for generative AI to lower risks such as misinformation, privacy breaches and copyright violations. According to the policy, these measures should ensure that AI tools operate responsibly and uphold ethical and legal standards.
Generate jobs
The policy outlines a target of training 200,000 people annually in AI tools, with dedicated modules for marginalised women and specially-abled citizens.
The government also plans to offer 3,000 annual scholarships for postgraduate and doctoral studies in AI, a specialised AI curriculum for public servants to train them in ethical AI use and data protection awareness, and an interest-free education financing scheme to support 15,000 students a year pursuing "high-tech" degrees.
Moreover, it aims to launch a national "high-tech" internship programme to create 20,000 internships annually in the AI sector.
Innovation
A National AI Fund (NAIF) is to be established under the Ignite National Technology Fund. Around 30% of Ignite's resources for research and development will go into supporting AI research, innovation, and commercialisation.
With funding from the NAIF, Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are to be created in cities across the country to act as hubs supporting AI research, training, and startup incubation. Within these centres, an "innovation fund" is to back projects addressing challenges in healthcare, education, and agriculture, while a "venture fund" is to provide financial support to help scale early-stage AI startups.
The government intends to introduce data standards and quality assurance frameworks to ensure the reliable and ethical usage of domestically developed AI models.
Transformation and Evolution
The government wants to use AI to enhance industries and services, and plans to create a detailed roadmap to use it in education, healthcare, agriculture, and energy management.
A new "Ranking Management System" will be developed with government oversight to help individuals and businesses select the right AI tool for the job. According to the policy, they will encourage businesses in the industrial sector to adopt AI technologies to improve efficiency in multiple areas and digitise records.
While adoption of AI will be voluntary for these businesses, those that do would be eligible for tax breaks and subsidies, as well as be offered training programs and workshops. The government also aims to implement AI solutions to support local farmers in hopes of reducing crop losses.
AI Infrastructure
According to the policy, a nationwide AI network will be established to provide sufficient computing power to handle large-scale experiments, process big datasets, and train AI models. At least 100 universities and research institutions will gain access to these resources.
To supplement this the government will maintain high-quality datasets in national and provincial data repositories, while upgrading existing public-sector data centres for more efficient access.
Cloud-based services and shared AI resources are to be promoted to give businesses and institutions access to data and tools via public cloud platforms, benefitting local AI developers and startups in training AI models.
International collaboration
The government plans to form bilateral agreements with leading AI nations like the United States to share knowledge, develop new technologies, and establish joint AI research centres.
Pakistan will actively participate in global AI forums to showcase progress and build partnerships, and our AI regulations would be aligned with international standards to ensure compliance.
The policy also aims to attract foreign direct investment in the AI sector, providing capital and opportunities for local businesses to grow. Additionally, talent exchange programs will be created, enabling students and professionals to pursue AI education and training abroad, in the hopes of bringing back expertise to support further domestic innovation.
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