Pakistan Needs AI Skills, Not Just Policies, Experts Warn

News Desk 

Islamabad: In a significant step toward promoting responsible and inclusive technological advancement, UNESCO in partnership with Jazz convened a high-level multi-stakeholder dialogue in Islamabad. 

The event aimed to spotlight the importance of human-centered governance frameworks as Pakistan prepares to finalize its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.

More than just a policy discussion, the gathering served as a call to action—bringing together voices from government bodies, private tech companies, academia, media, and civil society—to embed ethics, equity, and human rights into the foundation of Pakistan’s AI innovation ecosystem.

Fatima Akhtar, VP Corporate Communications & ESG at Jazz, opened the session with a reminder that technological progress must not come at the cost of social inclusion. 

“The future of AI in Pakistan must be shaped by a broad coalition of voices—where innovation is balanced with inclusion, and growth goes hand-in-hand with governance,” Akhtar emphasized. “At Jazz, we believe responsible AI development starts with ethical foundations.”

Framing the national urgency, policy and governance expert Dr Aneel Salman delivered a sobering insight: “AI will not transform Pakistan until Pakistanis are ready to shape it. We are sitting on a demographic goldmine. But without AI skills, it’s just potential.” 

He called for transforming the country’s vast youth population into digitally skilled assets capable of driving and managing AI innovation responsibly.

UNESCO’s Hamza Khan Swati stressed that Pakistan’s draft policy must align with international human rights standards and ethical frameworks, echoing UNESCO’s global normative instruments including the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. He underscored the importance of readiness assessments and global cooperation in crafting sustainable digital futures.

Panelists also examined gaps in institutional preparedness, unequal access to digital infrastructure, and the urgent need for AI-specific capacity-building across sectors.

Lessons were drawn from international practices such as UNESCO’s AI and Rule of Law programme and the AI Competency Framework piloted under the UN Broadband Commission.

Participants agreed that Pakistan’s AI policy must go beyond technical regulation. It must safeguard human dignity, ensure algorithmic transparency, and promote an inclusive ecosystem where marginalized voices are not sidelined in the race for digital transformation.

As Pakistan edges closer to finalizing its National AI Policy, dialogues like these are proving pivotal. They ensure that ethics, equity, and empowerment remain central to the conversation—not just code, data, and innovation.

The outcomes of this session will directly feed into the policy refinement process, reinforcing the commitment of stakeholders to co-create an AI future where no one is left behind.