I have now returned to Pakistan after visiting the US and Canada. During the tour, I had the opportunity to closely observe a number of public and private institutions.
As I mentioned in my previous column, the very first thing I encountered was artificial intelligence (AI). In US airports, robots are not just assisting with passenger movement. They are performing actual security and operational functions. In shopping malls, public parks, roads and other public places, I did not see janitorial teams like we see in Pakistan. Instead, smart AI-powered machines carry out cleaning, vacuuming and maintenance in a completely automated manner.
In American hospitals, rather than replacing doctors, AI is giving them more time to deal with complex cases and research. Similarly, engineers, computer scientists, telecom specialists, commerce professionals and marketers are all embracing AI and using it to enhance their skills.
During my visit to edYOU.com in Los Angeles, a visionary institution that is leading AI-based educational transformation in the US, I was briefed on Singapore’s struggles during the 1960s. It was facing several crises in the form of lack of natural resources, high unemployment, inflation and internal chaos. However, the Singaporean leadership changed their country’s destiny by redesigning its educational systems with a focus on economic goals, partnering with global institutions and training young people in future skills.
During our interaction, I endorsed the idea that our greatest strength – our real national asset – is our youth. Around 63 per cent of Pakistani nationals are reportedly below the age of 30. If we choose to prioritise our national interests wisely, this number alone is quite enough to make Pakistan a global AI talent hub.
Unfortunately, we remain trapped in the misconception that AI will replace human jobs, increase unemployment and enable robots to dominate human spaces. There are also concerns about the misuse of AI. However, international media reports indicate that several global players, including the US and China, are actively exploring ways to benefit from Pakistani AI talent.
Pakistan is an agricultural nation that still imports food. Meanwhile, in the US, I witnessed AI robots protect crops day and night, drones simulate artificial rainfall and soil sensors predict seed growth, irrigation cycles and pest risk.
AI is rapidly reshaping education, communication, healthcare, agriculture and governance around the world and we remain frightened by its impact. But what I found during my visit is that AI is not eliminating people but empowering them. It is upgrading them for the requirements of the modern age as opposed to making them irrelevant. Several research studies show that those who use AI are achieving targets faster, with less effort and more productivity.
Throughout my stay, one question continued to echo in my mind: What if Pakistan adopts AI? In my view, the answer to this critical question contains the direction of Pakistan’s economic future, national security, diplomacy, development and even national sovereignty.
If we adopt AI, our professionals will become more competent; our agriculture will flourish; and our young people can become global leaders of the AI century. Our national defence will become smarter, stronger and more impenetrable if we integrate AI in a professional way. But this also requires responsible and structured AI literacy.
The time has come for Pakistan to declare AI a national priority. We must integrate AI literacy from school to university and expand public-private partnerships with edYOU and other global platforms. Today, Pakistan stands at a historic moment of opportunity. If we embrace AI with courage, Pakistan can leap forward decades in just a few years.
The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. He tweets/posts @RVankwani
