Federal cabinet approves National AI Policy 2025

The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2025, aimed at transforming Pakistan into a digitally empowered economy by establishing a full-fledged AI ecosystem and promoting inclusive access to emerging technologies, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Chairing the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that youth are Pakistan’s most valuable asset, and providing them with modern education, especially in AI, is a national priority. He noted that the government is already leveraging AI in tax reforms to enhance revenue and improve governance.

The policy lays out a strategic roadmap to integrate AI across public services, education, agriculture, and economic development, while addressing data security, ethics, and environmental concerns.

Key highlights of the AI policy 2025 include:

• Creation of a comprehensive national AI ecosystem.

• Establishment of AI Innovation Fund and AI Venture Fund to support private sector development.

• Training of 1 million AI professionals by 2030.

• 3,000 scholarships annually, 50,000 AI-enabled civic projects, and 1,000 local AI products over the next five years.

• Focused inclusion of women and differently-abled persons in the AI workforce.

• Strengthening of cybersecurity and national data protection frameworks.

Alignment with global AI regulations and international partnerships.

The policy was developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders from the public sector, academia, industry, and civil society.

To ensure implementation, the government will establish a high-level AI Council and a detailed master plan with Action matrix.

The prime minister praised the Ministry of IT and allied institutions for their forward-looking work in preparing the policy and underscored the importance of timely policymaking to harness AI’s global potential.