PM announces $1bn investment in AI by 2030
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government would invest $1 billion in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector by 2030 to build a future-ready digital economy and empower the country’s youth.
The prime minister said the investment would help establish a robust AI ecosystem across Pakistan. He announced that AI curriculum will be introduced in all federally-run schools, while 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI will be offered to students from across the country.
In addition, he annoucned to launched a nationwide programme to train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills to boost productivity and improve livelihoods.
“Pakistan is absolutely ready to accept the challenge and work with our global partners, with great commitment and dedication,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of Indus AI Week.
Highlighting priority sectors, the prime minister said AI interventions would focus on agriculture, mines and minerals, industry, commerce, trade, and youth empowerment. He stressed the need to equip young people with modern knowledge and techniques.
Addressing concerns among IT professionals about rapid technological change, he assured that government programmes would help transform IT technicians into AI experts, unlocking unprecedented gains in agricultural yield, quality and efficiency, as well as industrial growth and women’s empowerment.
The prime minister said Pakistan’s current push towards AI builds on earlier reforms. He highlighted the laptop distribution programme for high achievers in Punjab, establishment of e-libraries in remote areas, e-stamp papers, and the digitisation of land records.
He also noted that Pakistan’s first Safe City project and first IT University were established in Lahore. “We have learned from the past, and today Pakistan is ready to join the world in AI interventions,” he said.
Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Indus AI Week aimed to strengthen coordination between universities, governments and international companies, underscoring Pakistan’s full commitment to a digital revolution. She said the Pakistan Digital Authority was preparing a nationwide digital master plan to guide future transformation.
Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal remarked the world had entered a moment where intelligence itself had become a factor of production, with nations competing on ideas, talent, data and technology rather than commodities.
He described artificial intelligence as a bigger disruptor than electricity or the internet, noting that Pakistan’s engagement with technology began over two decades ago with early IT policies, the creation of NADRA, and large-scale investment in advanced human capital.