Unlocking Pakistan’s AI Potential: A Critical Review of the National Draft AI Policy by MOIT&T.

In pursuit of the Government of Pakistan’s vision for Digital Pakistan, the Ministry of IT & Telecom aims to foster a culture of innovation by embracing advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence in an efficient and responsible manner.

In conformance with the Government of Pakistan’s vision for Digital Pakistan, the?Ministry of IT & Telecom?is dedicated to ensuring equitable and timely access to opportunities and aims to foster a culture of innovation by implementing a comprehensive developmental agenda?that embraces advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence in an efficient and responsible manner.

Furthermore,?the policy aims to fundamentally rethink AI adoption?in the?local context?so that new growth areas can be identified and intervened in considering the?existing job market’s relevance?while empathizing with the growing population of the country.

This policy stems from the “AI for Good” initiative by the?ITU?and the?Sustainable Development Goals?set forth by the?United Nations.

Considering the?disruptive nature of AI?and?allied technologies?and how it is re-ordering the?socioeconomic?construct of the world,?we desire to live in. Therefore, it is essential to responsibly harness this opportunity while keeping the common interest?foremost. Therefore, to?survive?and?thrive, Pakistan aims to revitalize its?resolve toward digitalization, which will involve processing personal data through AI.

To this end, the said policy coherently interlaces with the?Personal Data Protection Act,?Pakistan Cloud First Policy, and the?Digital Pakistan Policy?initiatives.

The?National AI Policy?is crafted to focus on the?equitable distribution?of?opportunity?and its?responsible use, having the following defining attributes.

• Evidence-Based?and?Target-Oriented.
• User-Centric?and?Forward-Looking.
• Objective?and?Overarching.

1st Pillar: Enabling AI through Awareness and Readiness

The first pillar will focus on?societal preparation?in?becoming increasingly aware of the potential benefits of AI,?deployment requirements, and adopting measures for?establishing readiness?towards AI adoption. Targeted interventions achieve this in meeting the?societal gaps. The interventions include?awareness proliferation programs?related to AI, improving the quality of R&D in AI through?applied research, and further enhancing the footprint in AI through?fiscal/logistical support,?curriculum development, and review of?existing coursework?to make it more relevant to?global demand?and best?practices.

Furthermore, upskilling the workforce through boot camps and Massive Open Online Courses MOOC platforms will address societal gaps and challenges (G1) in awareness and adaptation.

2nd Pillar: AI Market Enablement

The second pillar will help organize matters related to?establishing an ecosystem?to?facilitate the development and deployment of AI. This includes steps taken to address the identified?societal challenges, including?Awareness?and?Adaptation?Challenges (G1),?Data Standardization?and?Accessibility?(G2), and?Computational Needs?(G3).

3rd Pillar: Building a Progressive & Trusted Environment

The third pillar focuses on the interventions necessary for?building a progressive and trusted environment?where the?personal data of citizens and the data of organizations are protected. This section addresses?Awareness and Adaptation Challenges?(G1) and?Ethical Challenges?(G4) to ensure the?safe?and?responsible?use of AI and associated technologies.

4th Pillar: Transformation & Evolution

This pillar focuses on?developing roadmaps?for each sector of society, including?governance, so the necessary evolution toward AI adoption can be achieved. During the process, several interventions are highlighted to facilitate this transformation, including?industrial transformation and sandboxing. In addition, this driver will assist us in?addressing awareness?and?adaptation challenges?(G1) and?Data Standardization?and?Accessibility?(G2).

Analysis:

Digital Pakistan?is not a mere dream but a crucial path that holds the key to unlocking Pakistan’s true potential. It is through this transformative journey that Pakistan can pave its way to becoming a developed nation. The?ongoing formulation of an AI policy is just one of the strategic decisions made by the Government of Pakistan (GOP)?to facilitate this process. Initiatives such as the?Cybersecurity Policy?and?Cloud First policy?align with the goals of the Ministry of IT & Telecom (MOIT&T). To ensure effective integration, the utilization of AI must be localized, made demand-driven, and in line with the "AI for Good" policy while maintaining an agile transition process. The?identified drivers?of change encompass a comprehensive approach, setting the wheels in motion for progress. Each target within this framework plays a vital role in achieving the larger vision. However, the true measure lies in the?execution?of said policy. Implementation is key, as even reaching 70% of the committed objectives can yield substantial benefits for society as a whole.