AI shifting digital divide from access to capability: JazzWorld CEO

ISLAMABAD: As artificial intelligence increasingly expands what individuals can do with technology, the next major divide may no longer be about access to connectivity and information, but access to capability, JazzWorld CEO Aamir Ibrahim said.

Speaking at the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit, Ibrahim drew a distinction between the digital divide and what he described as an emerging “intelligence divide,” as AI provides access to capabilities across education, analysis, information and software development.

“The digital divide was about access to connectivity and information. The intelligence divide will be about access to capability. We need to make sure that there is an intelligent future for every Pakistani — a smartphone in every hand, and intelligence available to everyone,” he said.

Ibrahim linked the challenge to Pakistan’s need to build the infrastructure required to participate in the global AI economy. Discussing the concept of AI factories, he said their key inputs include energy, compute, data centers and data, while outputs can range from AI inference and tokens to software, code, video and audio.

Pakistan, he added, should aspire to become an “AI maker” rather than simply consuming technologies developed elsewhere. This would include building systems capable of serving global markets while understanding Pakistan’s languages, culture, security requirements and local context. He also highlighted sovereign AI, saying it extends beyond keeping data within national borders to having a degree of control over the country’s cognitive layer.

Ibrahim made the remarks while delivering welcome remarks during the summit’s inaugural session, “The Next Move: Reading the Moment,” where he was joined by Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder and Chairman, Nutshell Group and former Minister for Investment, and Dr Faisal Hashmi, Senior Director Public Affairs, Sustainability & Communication, Pakistan & Afghanistan Region, The Coca-Cola Company.

He later built on the discussion during the closing leadership dialogue, “From Strategic Relevance to National Advantage,” joining Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, former caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan; Senator Dr Musadik Malik, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination; Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, former Chief of Air Staff; and Ziad Bashir, Chairman, Pakistan Business Council, in a discussion moderated by Fahd Husain, Anchor, Columnist and Executive Editor, The Express Tribune.

Ibrahim emphasised the need to translate Pakistan’s strategic potential into economic opportunity, with compute, data centers, reliable energy, and connectivity forming the infrastructure needed to participate in the global AI value chain.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026