'AI policy to bring Pakistan among developed nations'
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has said that the AI policy approved by the federal cabinet is a revolutionary step aimed at placing Pakistan among the developed nations of the world.
Sharing the broad contours of the policy in a televised message on Monday, she emphasised that AI is bringing major transformation not only in IT and technology, but across all walks of life, including health, education, trade, and economy.
She expressed the commitment to ensuring that every person in Pakistan reaps the benefits of AI.
Under the policy, she said a fund will be established to support and promote the innovative ideas of youth and their startups.
She added that the policy will empower and prepare the youth for market-oriented jobs. The comprehensive policy envisages several projects to ensure that AI education reaches every individual.
Shaza Fatima said the policy also focuses on the security of citizens' data and that AI will be used to further improve cybersecurity.
The Minister for Information Technology said investments will also be made in AI-related infrastructure. She said Pakistan will seek partnerships with key countries to take forward its AI agenda.
Earlier in the month, she met with Google's Regional AI Developer Ecosystem and Communities team to explore strategic collaboration in advancing Pakistan's artificial intelligence landscape.
Read: Shaza, Google team focus on AI
The Google team provided an overview of their developer ecosystem in the region, highlighting the contributions of Google Developer Groups (GDGs), community-based AI initiatives and impactful platforms like Taleemabad.
The discussion focused on expanding community-driven innovation and AI adoption across Pakistan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
IT minister hails Agri Stack as transformative platform
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja hailed the Agri Stack as a transformative platform for Pakistan's agriculture sector during her visit to the Land Information and Management System (LIMS) facility. Developed by LIMS as a complete digital ecosystem and e-commerce platform under the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT), Agri Stack aims to modernise agriculture through real-time advisory, land intelligence, and AI-driven solutions. Accompanied by the director general of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the minister reviewed the live demonstration of Agri Stack, which currently serves over two million farmers. The system has already contributed to saving Rs5 billion through automated pest attack mitigation—most notably during the whitefly outbreak in 2023. DG LIMS Maj Gen Muhammad Ayub Ahsan received the delegation, while Dr Col Waqar briefed attendees on the role of LIMS in enhancing food security and transforming land management. Discussions also covered a suite of digital tools including the Pak Sar Zameen Card, a GIS/remote-sensing-based smart card enabling farmers to access land records, subsidies, and agri-advisories. The visit also spotlighted broader initiatives such as promoting tech-based job creation for youth in agriculture, smartphone distribution, improved digital connectivity, and the use of AI for crop yield prediction. A proposal to form a steering group to coordinate and support LIMS in scaling these innovations was tabled during the meeting. Minister Shaza emphasised that LIMS must be fully accessible via smart phones, enabling real-time access to land records and location tracking for users across Pakistan. She highlighted the importance of digital integration in land governance to boost transparency and ease of access. The DG SIFC noted that LIMS reflects the Whole-of-Government approach, jointly driven by the SIFC and Pakistan's Armed Forces, and reaffirmed the Council's commitment to a tech-enabled and sustainable future for the country's agricultural and environmental landscape. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Democracy vs monarchy
The writer is an educationist based in Larkana. She can be reached at sairasamo88@ Listen to article Since its inception, humanity has longed for an ideal state - one where the rule of law is maintained, socio-political rights are safeguarded, and fundamental rights such as education, health and security are ensured. These aspirations are achievable when a governing body prioritises the welfare of its people above its own interests. The question remains: which form of governance is better — democracy or monarchy? Democracy is often described as a government of the people, by the people, for the people, as famously defined by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address (1863). In this system, power lies with the citizens, who elect leaders responsible for creating a government that maintains the rule of law, provides quality education and healthcare, and secures the safety of its citizens. A fundamental feature of democracy is the right to dissent, allowing opposition voices to challenge or support the decisions made by the government. The collective will of the people plays a central role in governance, and mutual consensus is highly valued. Monarchy, on the other hand, is a form of governance passed down through family lineage, without the direct input or consent of the people. The monarch holds supreme power and their decisions are unquestionable. In such systems, the king or queen controls the military, treasury and judiciary, and the distribution of rights such as education, health and security is entirely dependent on the ruler's discretion. If the monarch is capable, these rights may be upheld, but in many cases, they are secondary concerns. Let us now compare the merits of democracy and monarchy using figures and statistics. According to the World Forum on Democracy, electoral democracies represent 120 of the 192 existing countries, constituting 58.2% of the world's population. The Democracy Index, issued by The Economist Intelligence Unit, categorised 167 countries based on governance. Of these, only 24 were fully democratic, 48 were termed flawed democracies, 36 were hybrid regimes, and 59 classified as authoritarian. Data from Google sources says that countries with welfare-focused governance models, such as the US, the UK with its parliamentary democracy, and China with its one-party rule, rank highly in education, healthcare and quality of life. The US records 2.8% GDP growth with a 79% literacy level, while the UK stands at 6.8% and 99%. China maintains 4.6% economic expansion alongside a 99.83% literacy level. Among monarchies, Saudi Arabia records 4.6% GDP growth with 96% literacy, Oman reaches 5.2% and 97.35%, and Brunei follows with a 4.2% GDP growth rate and a 97% literacy level, respectively. In terms of education, life expectancy, living standards and social security, these monarchies vary widely. Interestingly, some countries that transitioned from monarchies to democracies have, at times, reconsidered returning to monarchic rule, believing that monarchy offers certain advantages over democracy. One argument in favour of democracy is that it grants individuals the right to question their rulers and remove them through elections. Every citizen has a voice in governmental decisions. By contrast, in monarchies, executive power lies solely with the ruler, and there are no legal means to challenge their authority. Monarchs are all-powerful, and removing them is only possible in rare circumstances, such as military defeat and internal rebellion. While both systems have their merits, democracy prioritises the power and accountability of leaders to the people, whereas monarchy offers centralised rule. In the modern world, governance is increasingly judged by its ability to improve public welfare, regardless of its form. Churchill once said, "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." In the end, the question remains: which system truly delivers the best outcomes for its people. I leave it to the readers to decide whom they support for governance and how they wish to be governed.
Express Tribune
16 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Google unveils Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, its most advanced AI model
Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, its most advanced AI reasoning model, capable of processing multiple ideas at once to provide the best solution. This new model runs multiple agents in parallel, using computational resources to explore various possibilities before selecting the most accurate answer. Unveiled in May 2025 at Google I/O, Gemini 2.5 Deep Think is the first publicly available multi-agent AI from the company. It recently helped Google win a gold medal at the International Math Olympiad (IMO), where its version solved complex mathematical problems. For researchers, scientists, and academics tackling hard problems: Gemini 2.5 Deep Think is here. 🤯 It doesn't just answer, it brainstorms using parallel thinking and reinforcement learning techniques. We put it into the hands of mathematicians who explored what it can do ↓ — Google DeepMind (@GoogleDeepMind) August 1, 2025 Available to Google's Ultra plan subscribers, priced at $250 per month, Gemini 2.5 Deep Think is housed in the Gemini app. Google is now sharing its IMO-winning model with a select group of academics and researchers. Unlike traditional models, this system can take hours to reason, making it invaluable for academic use cases, as reported by Tech Crunch. Gemini 2.5 Deep Think also performed impressively on the Humanity's Last Exam (HLE), scoring 34.8%, surpassing competitors like xAI's Grok 4 and OpenAI's o3. The AI integrates with tools like code execution and Google Search, providing more detailed and creative responses than most models. It has shown potential to transform fields like research and development. While multi-agent systems are more resource-intensive than traditional models, Google has made the Gemini 2.5 Deep Think available through its premium subscription to fund the necessary infrastructure. Google plans to roll out Gemini 2.5 Deep Think to select testers via the Gemini API to understand its use in business and development, further solidifying its AI leadership.
