Pakistan’s National AI Policy Could Boost GDP by 12% and Create One Million Jobs by 2030

The full implementation of the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy could boost GDP by 7-12 per cent and create up to one million jobs by 2030, said Dr Anil Salman, Chair of the Government of Pakistan’s AI Policy Committee.

“The policy’s vision is bold, ethical, and transformative, stressing inclusivity across economic, social, and technological dimensions”, said Dr Salman, while addressing at a high-profile seminar on Pakistan’s newly launched National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, focusing on the theme “Bridging Gaps in Pakistan’s AI Roadmap: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward”. The seminar was hosted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).

Pakistan’s National AI Policy Could Boost GDP by 12% and Create One Million Jobs by 2030

The panel featured distinguished speakers, including Dr Anil Salman, Chair of the Government of Pakistan’s AI Policy Committee; Dr Najibullah, Member of Science and Technology at the Planning Commission of Pakistan; Suniya Shahid, CEO & Co-founder of Techvention Ltd.; and Dr Naveed Iftikhar, CEO of Atomcamp, who joined virtually via Zoom. The discussion was moderated by Wajid Islam, Research Economist at PIDE.

Dr Salman highlighted that the policy was developed through extensive consultation with domestic and international stakeholders, including UNESCO, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Commonwealth.

Dr Najibullah discussed the financial ecosystem and emphasized the importance of venture capital and accelerators to bridge Pakistan’s “valley of death” in scaling startups. He announced a Public Venture Capital Fund of RS 2 billion and highlighted the need for global accelerators to support Pakistani innovators. He also stressed sectoral opportunities in agriculture, health, and education, and pointed out challenges around data infrastructure, payment gateways, and cybersecurity.

Suniya Shahid presented an industry perspective, stressing the importance of AI adoption in healthcare and the need for ethical auditing mechanisms to ensure responsible AI use. She advocated for dedicated AI funds for women-led startups, retraining programs for displaced workers, and greater use of social media campaigns to raise awareness among youth. She also warned that unless AI models are trained on localised datasets, Pakistan will continue to face serious implementation gaps.

Joining via Zoom, Dr Naveed Iftikhar highlighted the gap between policy formulation and adoption, stressing that AI integration within government, universities, and industries remains slow. He emphasised the urgent need for upskilling across the civil service, academia, and public sector organisations, and called for partnerships with Saudi Arabia, China, and global data centers to bridge Pakistan’s infrastructure gap.

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Dr. Nasir Iqbal, Associate Professor and Registrar at PIDE, reflected on the macroeconomic implications of AI policy. He stressed that the success of the policy must be judged on three fundamental pillars: productivity, inclusivity, and market competitiveness.

He cautioned that while AI holds immense promise, it could also deepen inequality or lead to monopolistic structures if not implemented inclusively. Furthermore, he urged policymakers to think innovatively, beyond a project-based approach, and proposed measures like a “two-minute business registration model” to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs and village economic zones to empower rural communities and women.

The seminar concluded with a consensus that while Pakistan faces significant challenges in infrastructure, financing, and inclusivity, the National AI Policy has set the right direction. Its success will depend on sustained collaboration between the government, the private sector, academia, and international partners.