AI advancements could widen economic, social inequalities: Shaza
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has warned that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) could widen economic and social inequalities, stressing that Pakistan must move beyond being a consumer of technology to becoming a producer of AI-driven products and solutions.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the 29th Sustainable Development Conference and 4th Sustainable Investment Expo, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), she said the pace of technological advancement could create disparities that would become increasingly difficult for developing countries to overcome.
She said the transition from the digital age to the intelligent age, driven by generative and agentic AI, was fundamentally transforming economies, labour markets, education systems and societies.
The minister stressed that Pakistan needed to develop mathematicians, statisticians and AI specialists capable of designing algorithms and contributing directly to the development of emerging technologies rather than merely using products developed elsewhere.
She said AI was not only disrupting economic structures but also influencing cultural identities, languages, ethical values and the way younger generations acquired knowledge.
Highlighting the growing reliance of children on AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, she expressed concern over the influence of externally developed technologies on local cultures and values.
She emphasised the need to develop comprehensive linguistic datasets to preserve Urdu and Pakistan’s regional languages and ensure their representation in AI systems.
Referring to the government’s digital transformation agenda, Shaza Fatima said the Digital Nation Pakistan Act had laid the foundation for developing a national digital master plan aimed at transforming the country’s economy, society and governance.
She said the government was working towards establishing a cashless economy, paperless government and contactless society to ensure seamless digital access to public services.
The federal government had already transitioned to paperless operations, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally leading efforts to promote a cashless economy, she added.
The minister said initiatives including the Pakistan Stack, sectoral digital transformation plans and interoperable data exchange systems were being developed to improve governance and public service delivery.
She identified digital connectivity, cybersecurity and trust, and artificial intelligence as three key pillars of Pakistan’s digital transformation, saying their integration would determine the country’s long-term socioeconomic development.
Referring to the country’s major spectrum auction earlier this year, she said improving digital connectivity remained a government priority.
Discussing the impact of AI on employment, the minister said technological advancement would create a growing divide between individuals equipped with AI skills and those lacking them.
“It’s not going to take our jobs away, but it will definitely create polarity between people who know AI and people who don’t know AI,” she said.
She stressed that continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling were essential to prepare the workforce for rapidly changing employment requirements.
Shaza Fatima said conventional four-year degree programmes were struggling to keep pace with technological developments, necessitating hybrid education and training models to equip young people with relevant skills.
She called for coordinated efforts by academia, researchers, investors, policymakers and international development partners to ensure Pakistan and other emerging economies were not left behind in the global technological race.
The minister said technological progress should not be measured merely by economic growth or the pace of innovation but by its impact on people’s livelihoods.
“Technology is only a means to an end. And the end is every single citizen’s livelihood in the country,” she said.
She emphasised that digital transformation must create opportunities for young people across Pakistan rather than concentrating benefits in a few sectors or regions.
Shaza Fatima also congratulated SDPI and its Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri on organising the conference and bringing together stakeholders to discuss sustainable development challenges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026