Pakistan to Deploy AI Across 1100 Hospitals
News Desk
Islamabad: Artificial intelligence is set to play a larger role in Pakistan’s healthcare and digital landscape, with the federal government planning to deploy AI-powered disease detection under the Prime Minister’s Health Card Programme, while TikTok has announced a nationwide AI literacy initiative aimed at helping users navigate AI-generated content.
AI to Boost Disease Diagnosis Under Health Card Programme
The federal government has approved plans to integrate AI technology into the Prime Minister’s Health Card Programme to improve the diagnosis of cancer, mental health conditions and other complex diseases.
According to sources, the AI-powered system is expected to be rolled out across around 1,100 public and private hospitals in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials believe the technology will speed up diagnoses, improve accuracy and significantly reduce healthcare costs, potentially saving billions of rupees while benefiting nearly 200 million Pakistanis.
An agreement between the Health Card Programme and China’s Alibaba Group is expected to be signed next month. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also invited Alibaba’s leadership to visit Pakistan as discussions move forward.
The federal and provincial governments collectively spend more than Rs120 billion annually on health card programmes, including approximately Rs60 billion in Punjab, over Rs40 billion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and around Rs10 billion each by the federal government and Balochistan.
TikTok Expands AI Literacy Programme in Pakistan
Separately, TikTok has announced a series of initiatives designed to improve AI awareness among users in Pakistan, including the launch of an in-app AI Literacy Hub in the coming weeks.
The platform said the new hub will provide educational resources explaining how AI-generated content is created, how to identify it and how to use AI tools responsibly.
TikTok has partnered with the News and Media Literacy Alliance (NAMLE) and deepfake researcher Henry Ajder to develop practical guidance for users as generative AI becomes increasingly common online.
The company also announced tougher measures against AI-generated spam and misinformation. A new detection system, currently being tested, will target accounts that mass-produce AI-generated spam, particularly in sensitive areas such as politics, health information and financial advice.
According to TikTok, more than 86 million fake accounts were removed during the first quarter of the year, while over three billion videos have already been labelled using AI transparency tools, including Content Credentials and invisible watermarking technology.
TikTok added that it has invested more than $4 million globally in AI literacy programmes since late 2025 and plans to continue expanding educational initiatives to help users engage with AI safely and responsibly.
The company also highlighted the growing community of Pakistani creators using AI for education, animation, storytelling and digital innovation, saying the platform aims to encourage responsible and transparent use of the technology as AI adoption continues to accelerate.
