Pakistan targets 1m AI-skilled youth, global market eyes $5tr

November 11, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan aims to train one million young people in artificial intelligence (AI) skills and produce at least 10,000 AI PhDs over the next five years as the global AI economy is projected to reach $4.8 trillion by 2033.

The government is also developing AI infrastructure, expanding digital connectivity and strengthening data governance to prepare the country for emerging technological challenges.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, speaking at the Margalla Dialogue on Wednesday, said AI would transform the nature of employment rather than necessarily eliminate jobs, making digital skills essential for future opportunities.

She said individuals using AI could be up to 100 times more productive than those with similar skills who did not use the technology, according to APP.

Highlighting improvements in digital infrastructure, she said internet speeds had increased by 60% over the past two and a half years, while data capacity had grown by two terabits per second, taking the country's total live internet capacity to around seven terabits.

Pakistan had added three international submarine cables, while a 480-megahertz spectrum auction had raised the country's spectrum capacity from 274MHz to more than 750MHz.

Nearly 1.8 million people had subscribed to 5G services, while fibre-optic coverage had expanded from fewer than three million to more than six million household connections.

She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally overseeing the implementation of the Digital Nation Pakistan vision.

Under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, the Pakistan Digital Authority had been established and was preparing a National Digital Master Plan, alongside sectoral plans covering agriculture, real estate and healthcare.

The government was also developing a data governance policy, which would be announced in the coming weeks, while a national data exchange layer was being piloted.

She said the National AI Policy and data governance framework would ensure human accountability in decisions involving data and technology.

The minister said the prime minister had announced a $1bn investment in AI earlier this year, focusing on infrastructure, skills, innovation and connectivity.

Pakistan had also developed a seven-layer AI infrastructure framework to provide computing resources to government institutions, industries and innovators. The government was encouraging multiple smaller investments in data centres and AI infrastructure rather than relying on a single large-scale project.

She added that efforts were underway to strengthen the startup ecosystem through access to capital, cloud credits and a proposed fund of funds, with support from the World Bank and other development partners.

Emphasizing international cooperation, she called for wider access to computing infrastructure and open-source AI models, particularly for developing countries.

Pakistan was also participating in international AI governance forums, including the UN AI Digital Compact and the Digital Cooperation Organization, while contesting elections to the International Telecommunication Union.

On cybersecurity, she said Pakistan was pursuing a whole-of-government approach to address emerging digital threats and had been ranked among the top 40 countries in the 2024 ITU Global Cybersecurity Index.

She expressed confidence that Pakistan's sovereign cyber defense capabilities would become among the best in the world.

Referring to the country's defense capabilities, she said Pakistan had achieved success in Marka-i-Haq under the leadership of Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

She added that the May conflict had also involved a major cyber war alongside conventional military operations, with Pakistan demonstrating its capabilities in both areas.

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