In 2022, the conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Pakistan started gaining real momentum. For years, AI had lingered on the margins of the country’s tech narrative—more an academic or speculative interest than a strategic focus. But with the convergence of several forces—global AI breakthroughs, a maturing startup ecosystem, and state-level interest—Pakistan began inching toward participation in the global AI race.

• The Government’s AI Aspirations
• One of the biggest shifts came from the public sector. The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication launched a National Artificial Intelligence Policy draft in 2022, aiming to position AI as a transformative force across governance, industry, and education. The key pillars of the draft included:
  
  
• Human capital development through AI-focused curricula in universities
• Funding AI research labs and innovation centers in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC)
• Creating AI-powered platforms for public service delivery (e.g., NADRA, traffic management, and predictive analytics in healthcare)

Though still aspirational in scope, the policy marked the first structured approach to mainstreaming AI at the national level.

Startup Sector and Applied AI

While Pakistan still lacked homegrown AI unicorns, startups began integrating machine learning and data-driven intelligence in more visible ways. Notable examples included:

• PriceOye using recommendation engines to enhance e-commerce personalization
• Airlift (before its shutdown in mid-2022) experimenting with AI logistics optimization
• CreditBook leveraging predictive analytics for small business lending behavior
• Bazaar Technologies exploring demand forecasting in B2B marketplaces

Additionally, healthtech startups such as Sehat Kahani explored AI-assisted diagnostics in rural telemedicine delivery.

What was clear in 2022 was that while AI was not the core offering for most startups, it was becoming an embedded tool—used to improve decision-making, user targeting, or operational efficiency.

Skills Gap and Brain Drain

A major bottleneck remained the acute shortage of skilled AI professionals. Pakistan produced thousands of CS and IT graduates each year, but only a fraction had training in data science, machine learning, or deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch.

Universities like NUST, FAST, and ITU began offering AI-focused electives and short courses, but without robust industry-academia collaboration, training remained theoretical.

Many of Pakistan’s most talented AI researchers and data scientists opted for global opportunities, especially in Europe, Canada, and the Gulf, due to better pay, research funding, and institutional support.

AI Hype vs Reality

Despite the buzz, Pakistan’s AI market in 2022 was still nascent. Most companies were in experimental stages, and true productized AI (like autonomous systems, NLP engines, or computer vision tools) was rare outside academia.

Moreover, there was little domestic demand for AI solutions in traditional sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, or public utilities—sectors that form the bulk of Pakistan’s economy.

Looking Ahead

Pakistan’s AI journey in 2022 resembled its early internet phase from the 2000s: fragmented, aspirational, but full of potential. For AI to deliver meaningful impact, the country needed:

• Increased investment in AI R&D
• Policy continuity and execution beyond whitepapers
• Stronger AI communities and public-private partnerships

If these structural elements aligned, AI could emerge not just as a buzzword but as a true accelerator of economic and social transformation in Pakistan.

References:

Ministry of IT and Telecom – Draft National AI Policy 2022

https://moitt.gov.pk

Dawn News – Pakistan drafts policy to embrace Artificial Intelligence

https://www.dawn.com/news/1696732

TechJuice – AI integration in Pakistani startups

https://www.techjuice.pk

HEC Pakistan – HEC launches AI centers across major universities

https://www.hec.gov.pk

World Bank – Pakistan’s Human Capital Diagnostic

https://www.worldbank.org