Balancing AI risks

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace that governments can scarcely comprehend, let alone regulate. That, more than the technology itself, is the real danger. The United Nations' latest report has warned that the world is sprinting into the age of AI without first deciding where the finish line ought to be.

The temptation is to view AI through extremes, either as humanity's greatest invention or its greatest threat. It is neither. Like every transformative technology before it, from electricity to the internet, its value will depend less on what it is capable of than on how wisely it is governed. Left to market forces alone, AI could deepen inequality and amplify misinformation. Guided by sound policy, however, it could become one of the most powerful tools for economic and social progress. Then there is the darker side of AI. Deepfakes are becoming almost indistinguishable from reality, making manipulation and deception easier than ever with fabricated images and videos. AI-generated child sexual abuse material and deepfake-enabled sexual violence are proliferating online, while increasingly sophisticated phishing campaigns and cyberattacks are exploiting the technology to target individuals and institutions alike. Equally alarming is AI's ability to flood social media with persuasive falsehoods at a scale no human network could ever achieve, steadily eroding trust in information itself.

What Pakistan needs is neither panic nor paralysis but preparation. We cannot afford to be a passive spectator in this revolution. The country is already struggling, and AI does offer practical solutions to each of these challenges. Opportunity, however, should not be mistaken for preparedness. Pakistan still lacks a coherent regulatory framework for AI, while digital literacy remains uneven and research capacity limited.