Policy and Planning Recommendations
1. An AI Task Force, representing all sectors, should be constituted in the Cabinet Division to keep pace with the rapidly evolving AI technology. It should meet periodically to discuss and evaluate current developments in this field, foresee future developments and prepare policy and planning recommendations for the implementing agencies.
2. AI Regulation is extremely important, but it needs to come after sufficient development of technology – not too late and not too early. Regulatory frameworks should be adaptable. AI experts in Pakistan should sit together to form the regulations. Universities should play a leading role in research and development in this area.
3. Ethical challenges of AI have to be addressed by:
establishing comprehensive ethical frameworks, guidelines, and codes of conduct and employing techniques like algorithmic auditing, diverse data-set curation, and fairness-aware machine learning to mitigate biases.
defining clear lines of responsibility and liability and implementing mechanisms for redressal in case of any AI-related harm.
employing rigorous testing, validation, and continuous monitoring of AI systems, ensuring safety and reliability.
4. Long-term AI strategy should be overseen by the proposed Task Force. A conducive environment should be created for AI experts so that they might work with zeal and dedication. There must be clear-cut directions on who will be behind the long-term strategy.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to impact every aspect of human life. In particular, the following segments should be addressed as a priority.
a. Climate change: Multiple catastrophic issues have been exacerbated by the change in climate, leading to natural disasters like floods and wildfires. AI can mitigate these by understanding the historical patterns of floods and the seasons of flooding in the region. This can help save the lives of millions of people around the world, including Pakistan. Relevant agencies – like National Management Authority (NDMA) and flood control agencies - should adopt AI to forecast natural disasters. AI should also be adopted for post-disaster management by filling the informational gap through Automated Damage Assessment using satellite imagery that goes beyond regions.
b. Education-related AI should be included in the curriculum from a very early stage. Over 25,000 IT graduates, partly skilled in AI, are produced yearly. They should be utilized to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country. There are other multiple issues associated with attracting AI-related FDI in the country. For example, for AI companies to progress, there is still insufficient publicly available data on which to base their products.
c. Healthcare providers from the private sector in Pakistan fear including AI in their healthcare systems' approach. They are afraid of who will bear the responsibility if a mistake occurs, and the cost associated with it. Steps must be taken to streamline and regulate the use of AI in the health sector so that healthcare providers can freely operate within the given parameters.
d. Job displacement is a bigger issue, as more than 400 million jobs (mostly low-skill jobs) are likely to be impacted by 2030. However, AI also creates new/more job opportunities, such as in the media industry where humans can focus on the generation of ideas, make use of AI models, and address major legal issues such as copyright, etc. With important interventions and support, AI can create more than 130 million new jobs. Thus, there is a pressing need to reskill the already skilled professionals. Skill development, especially AI-related, should be promoted at all levels of education.
e. Military uses of AI are almost in thousands. Several countries have developed autonomous weapons by using AI. To forestall any surprise, close collaboration between the universities, industry, and the Pakistan military for research and development in this technology should be forged. This triangle will enable us to keep pace with the help of emerging AI technology and find cutting-edge solutions to our needs.
