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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that Pakistan will invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030, calling the initiative a major step toward building a future-ready digital economy.
The announcement was made at the inauguration of Indus AI Week 2026 in Islamabad, a national platform bringing together policymakers, innovators, investors and technology experts.
Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the investment would help create a strong AI ecosystem and prepare Pakistan to compete globally.
He announced that AI education will be introduced in all federally run schools, as well as in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, with special focus on remote areas of Balochistan to ensure inclusive growth.
He added that the government would offer 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI by 2030, aimed at developing world-class research capacity within the country.
AI Skills, youth empowerment and economic transformation
PM Shehbaz also unveiled a nationwide plan to train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills, saying this would boost productivity, improve livelihoods and help workers adapt to changing job markets.
Agriculture, mines and minerals were identified as priority sectors where AI could significantly raise efficiency and output.
With nearly 60 per cent of Pakistan’s population under the age of 30, the premier stressed that empowering youth with modern skills was central to national development.
He said the government’s broader digital push builds on past reforms such as land record computerization, safe city projects and tax digitization which reduced corruption and improved governance.
While the National AI Policy, approved in July 2025, has faced delays in implementation, officials said Indus AI Week marks the first concrete step toward building awareness and readiness.
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the event aims to strengthen coordination between universities, government and international firms while Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal described AI as a greater disruptor than electricity or the internet.
Calling the initiative “nothing short of a game-changer,” the prime minister said Pakistan was ready to move forward with confidence and commitment in the age of artificial intelligence.
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