Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced the government’s plan to invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030.
The Indus AI Week 2026 is being held from February 9 to 15 (Sunday). The event’s website describes it as “Pakistan’s official national platform for artificial intelligence – where policy, innovation, talent and investment converge”.
“The government of Pakistan is committed to investing $1 billion in AI by 2030, which will go a long way in building an AI ecosystem in our country,” the premier said while addressing the event’s inauguration ceremony in Islamabad.
Announcing further steps the country aims to take to keep up with modern technologies, PM Shehbaz said an AI curriculum would be introduced “not only in all federally-controlled or -run schools but all schools” of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
He emphasised that the plan would be implemented in remote parts of Balochistan as well to “pair our youth for leadership and digital economy”.
The prime minister further said the government would provide 1,000 fully-funded PHD scholarships in AI to students across the country by 2030, which is aimed at building Pakistan’s “world-class research centre fully capacitated”.
“Last but not least, we will launch a nationwide programme to train 1 million non-IT professionals in AI skills, enabling them to enhance productivity and improving livelihoods,” he added.
He elaborated that agriculture and mines and minerals would be among the areas of focus, adding that the government aimed to empower the youth, which he said comprises 60 per cent of the country’s total population.
“We have to empower them with modern knowledge and modern techniques, and IT startups and IT technicians are already very concerned and feeling the heat and the challenge,” he noted, assuring them the government would bring programmes to “transform them from IT technicians to AI experts”.