Islamabad (TDI): Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja has underscored the government’s growing focus on artificial intelligence (AI) education, saying AI training must become a core part of both academic learning and workforce development in Pakistan.
Speaking during a meeting with Google’s regional team for AI Developer Ecosystem and Communities on Friday, Khawaja highlighted the urgent need to integrate AI into mainstream education, from early grades all the way to university, and to equip professionals, freelancers, and industries with relevant tools and skills.
She emphasized the importance of making tools like AI Seekho, cloud platforms, and hands-on environments more widely available, especially to students and young professionals who are just getting started in the tech world.
During the meeting, Khawaja showed strong interest in working more closely with Google to help Pakistan connect with what’s happening globally in AI.
Read More: Google Simplifies Search Experience by Phasing Out Country-Specific Domains
She noted that while more young people and businesses are showing interest in AI, it’s also important to make sure there are proper checks in place so the technology doesn’t grow without direction or oversight.
The Google team shared updates about their activities in the region, mentioning how local communities, through platforms like Taleemabad and Google Developer Groups, are playing a big part in introducing people to AI and encouraging learning from the ground up.
Read More: British Council Partners with Google, Tech Valley Jazz to Expand Digital Learning
The discussion came ahead of Google I/O Extended, a global tech meetup series that kicks off this weekend in Islamabad and will later move to Lahore on July 26.
Pakistan has recently seen a flurry of AI-related activity. Just this week, SOCByte, a local platform, rolled out the country’s first AI-based cybersecurity program to help professionals deal with emerging digital threats.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
