The inaugural Indus AI Week commenced on Monday, heralding a week of guest speakers, workshops, hackathons, and exhibitions in cities across Pakistan. The events are intended to reiterate Pakistan’s goal of becoming a global leader in AI development, as detailed in the URAAN Pakistan National Economic Transformation Plan, as well as celebrate major accomplishments by the Pakistani government.
The highlight of the first day was a speech by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Center. There, his administration expanded on previous commitments made under the URAAN Pakistan Economic Plan, which includes “Accelerating digital transformation to enhance operational efficiency, promote innovation, and improve Pakistan’s competitiveness on the global stage” as part of its long-term goals.
As Sharif explained, the government is committed to investing $1 billion by 2030 to bolster the country’s domestic AI development industry.
Part of the plan includes retraining portions of the rapidly growing IT workforce in AI specialization. The prime minister expressed his hopes that Pakistan’s burgeoning young workforce could be harnessed to the country’s advantage. With 60 percent of the population under the age of 30, the next generation of AI specialists would be more familiar with technological advancements than their older counterparts abroad.
To train these specialists, the government will introduce AI curriculum across all federally run schools in every province, with an emphasis on schools in rural areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan. This is intended to mitigate the higher barrier to entry for training in technology-related fields. Sharif assured audiences that the planned investments do not exclusively benefit schools in wealthier areas with preexisting technology hubs.
And to assist aspiring AI experts already deep into their education, the government will sponsor 1,000 PhD scholarships in AI by 2030.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, whose agency organized Indus AI Week, followed with the announcement of the Islamabad AI Declaration, detailing Pakistan’s official stance on AI. The eight pillars include:
- Sovereign purpose and measurable public value;
- Human accountability under constitutional authority;
- Use case-first pragmatic delivery;
- Sovereign data privacy and trust;
- Explainable, auditable, and safe AI;
- A whole-of-government approach to AI governance;
- Inclusive and responsible innovation; and
- Private sector-led, sovereign and open AI ecosystems.
Together, the declaration ensures ethical and accountable AI development, assuaging public concerns while promoting efficiency.
Indus AI Week will continue until February 15.
