Islamabad: A report by Oxford Insights, a UK-based think tank, reveals that Pakistan ranks 8th out of 17 countries in South and Central Asia in AI readiness, trailing behind India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
According to Deutsche Welle, Pakistan’s national AI policy, drafted in 2021, has been criticized by Data Darbar, an NGO focused on Pakistan’s tech industry, for lacking comprehensive applications for AI across various sectors.
Data Darbar’s co-founder, Natasha Uderani, emphasized the need for a better national strategy and more investment in AI-focused education, advocating for vocational programs to upskill the workforce. She expressed concerns about the proliferation of fake news and propaganda through AI tools, which can exacerbate polarization and violence, particularly affecting the Global South.
An investigation by Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) uncovered a network of YouTube channels frequently publishing content related to pension schemes using generative AI visuals. These channels often adopt official-sounding names, misleadingly suggesting government affiliation. Among them, a channel named “Pak Gov Update” uploaded a video titled “Jay-Z Breaks His Silence on Diddy Controversy,” featuring a thumbnail of the US rapper.
According to DRF, this trend of AI-generated deceptive content questions YouTube’s policies, which have allowed a growing ecosystem of misleading, monetized content. However, for entrepreneurs like Zubair from Karachi, AI tools have created economic opportunities, enabling him to earn around $2,000 per month and launch his own content creation company.
YouTube has recently updated its policies to address the issue of inauthentic and AI-generated clickbait content. However, critics argue that the impact of demonetizing such content in Pakistan will be slow, given the previous shortcomings of YouTube’s policies.
Pakistan’s AI development also faces investment challenges. Abrar ul-Hassan of Morango Films in Islamabad highlighted the importance of upskilling and ethical understanding in AI projects. The French Development Agency ranked Pakistan as a “mid-level performer,” noting moderate advancements in infrastructure and human capital readiness.
Yasar Ayaz, chairman of Pakistan’s National Center of Artificial Intelligence, pointed out the investment bottlenecks in AI development. He suggested that an initial investment in technology could enhance Pakistan’s attractiveness to foreign investors, potentially leading to the export of AI solutions to other low-income countries.