The first Pakistani National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2025, which includes a comprehensive six-pillar roadmap for digital transformation, has been officially launched by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom. While ensuring that AI is used in a responsible and ethical manner, it aims to encourage innovation, improve infrastructure, modernize industries, and strengthen global partnerships.
Pillar 1: AI Innovation Ecosystem
The government will create a strong innovation network to turn AI ideas into practical solutions. Centers of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CoE-AI) will be established in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, supported by regional centers in other significant cities. High-tech labs and computing power will be available at these hubs, which will link researchers, startups, and industry leaders.
A National AI Fund will support product development, commercialization, and research. AI-based startups will benefit from specialized venture capital to expand their operations. In order to guarantee that AI solutions are pertinent to Pakistan’s culture, economy, and languages, the policy also emphasizes the creation of large-scale local AI language models.
Pillar 2: Awareness and Readiness
Public awareness campaigns will promote ethical and responsible AI use to prepare the nation for an AI-driven future. The policy highlights to include tha AI education in school and university curricula. The training of 200,000 people annually in AI and related technologies is the government’s goal.
Special training programs will focus on marginalized women and people with disabilities (PWDs) with equal employment opportunities in the AI industry, specialized training programs will be developed. Additionally, AI fundamentals, ethical practices, and data security will be covered in training for government employees in all ministries.
Pillar 3: Secure AI Ecosystem
The policy places a strong emphasis on cybersecurity. Cyber threats will be detected and dealt with in real time by AI-powered systems. Personal and institutional data will be safeguarded by strict data privacy regulations. By listing all AI systems in the public sector on a national register, the government will ensure transparency. Legal frameworks will also ensure that AI systems are fair, accountable, and aligned with global ethical standards.
Pillar 4: Transformation and Evolution
AI will be applied across key sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, governance, and manufacturing. Among the projects will be:
- Digitizing medical, land, and government records.
- Improving irrigation and predicting crop yields with AI.
- Implementing AI for intelligent disaster management, public service delivery, and policing.
Industries will be encouraged to integrate AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for automation, quality control, and anticipatory maintenance. Locally developed AI solutions will be encouraged by tax breaks and subsidies.
Pillar 5: AI Infrastructure
A national AI compute grid will be established, featuring high-performance computing centers and upgraded data repositories. In addition, the government will set up AI hubs all over the country to help universities and private businesses collaborate on research. New AI applications can be tested in controlled environments in regulatory sandboxes before they are fully implemented.
Pillar 6: International Partnerships
Pakistan will work more closely with nations that are at the forefront of AI research and development. AI professionals will participate in international exchange programs, and the government intends to establish joint research centers with international partners. While adhering to global AI standards, the policy also aims to attract foreign investment into Pakistan’s AI sector, while aligning with global AI standards.
Tracking Progress
The government will meaure the success of the AI policy through clear indicators, such as:
- Growth in AI-based jobs and startups.
- Number of AI research papers and patents.
- Increased investment in AI-focused projects.
This National AI Policy is a major turning point for Pakistan’s digital future. It creates an environment where AI can drive economic growth, improve governance, and deliver real benefits to citizens while safeguarding ethical standards and public trust by combining education, infrastructure, security, and innovation.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.