Pakistan Urged to Integrate AI in Key Sectors, Says Planning Minister
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal urges AI integration in education, health, climate, and more. Pakistan to launch national AI fund and roadmap for sector-specific AI adoption.
Pakistan Steps Forward with AI Integration Plans in Multiple Sectors
Pakistan is making serious efforts to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help the country develop faster. At a recent meeting of the National Task Force on AI, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, said that AI should be used actively in important areas like education, health, farming, climate change, government, and business.
This task force was made in 2023. Its job is to focus on 12 major areas where AI can help. For each of these areas, special groups will be formed. These groups will include people from the government, universities, and private companies. They will work together to create clear AI plans. These plans, part of the Pakistan AI roadmap, will show what needs to be done, when it should be done, and what tools or money will be needed.
A statement from the Press Information Department said that Ahsan Iqbal clearly explained that AI cannot work alone. He said AI in Pakistan will only succeed if there is strong teamwork between different sectors like education, business, and science.
To support fresh ideas and new technology, the minister also announced the creation of the National AI Fund Pakistan. This fund will give money to help new and creative projects get started, especially small test projects in different fields. He also asked for a countrywide record of AI experts, research centers, and available tools so that Pakistan’s tech system can be better organized and used properly.
At the meeting, people also appreciated the talent and hard work of young Pakistanis in the field of AI. One great example is a project called GeoGemma. This is a satellite image tool made by students from the Institute of Space Technology in Islamabad. It won the “Best AI Use Case” award at the Asia-Pacific Solution Challenge. This competition was held in Manila by Google and the Asian Development Bank.
To improve teamwork between universities, private companies, and the government, Ahsan Iqbal asked the task force to organize a big national AI workshop. This will be done with help from the Pakistan IT Industry Association, known as P@SHA. The goal is to create AI solutions that can solve Pakistan’s real-life problems and help its people.
This new AI work also matches the minister’s bigger plan for science and technology. Last year, he opened an international conference on 3D printing and vacuum technology at Quaid-i-Azam University. There, he asked scientists to help make Pakistan a leader in modern science and innovation.
Many important people came to the meeting. These included officials from the Ministry of IT, NADRA, and P@SHA, along with top people from private tech companies. Dr. Yasar Ayaz, who is the Project Director at the National Centre for AI, was also there.
