Weak data systems leave Pakistan ill-prepared for AI era: Report
New Delhi, July 13
Pakistan remains inadequately prepared to deal with the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, despite growing adoption of AI tools among businesses and professionals, as weak digital infrastructure, fragmented data systems and limited institutional readiness continue to hamper the country's progress, a report has said.
A report published in Dawn highlighted that AI adoption is gradually increasing across Pakistan, particularly among educated youth and service-sector employees using tools such as ChatGPT.
Businesses are also exploring AI applications to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
However, the country's digital ecosystem and policy framework remain underdeveloped, limiting AI's broader deployment and benefits, it said.
It further warned that Pakistan's outdated statistical systems, poor-quality data and low levels of digitisation could undermine AI-driven decision-making, as artificial intelligence relies heavily on accurate and comprehensive datasets.
Citing experts, it noted that government agencies and businesses still lack reliable data on AI adoption, making it difficult to assess the technology's impact on productivity, employment and economic growth.
Pakistan's labour surveys and official databases continue to follow frameworks developed before the digital economy, with little tracking of AI adoption across industries or occupations that could face automation.
However, they questioned whether government institutions possess the necessary technical expertise and policy understanding to implement AI effectively.
They also cautioned that poor data quality and limited awareness among policymakers could restrict the effectiveness of AI initiatives, even if advanced technologies are introduced.
Private sector experts -- cited in the report -- said AI adoption remains uneven across industries. While banks and a few large companies are investing in AI applications and hiring specialised talent, most businesses have yet to formulate formal AI strategies.
They further stressed that Pakistan needs to strengthen digital infrastructure, improve data governance and promote AI literacy among policymakers and businesses to remain competitive as artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's sad but not surprising. Even in India, our census data is delayed and labour surveys are from pre-smartphone era. Pakistan is in a worse spot with political instability and energy crises. AI is not a luxury; it can help with flood prediction or crop yields. But if your data is fragmented, the AI will be confused. Hope they take this report seriously and start with basic data collection reforms.
This is the same story repeating across the subcontinent. We praise AI adoption by youth in Lahore or Karachi, but forget that 60% of Pakistan's population is in villages with no internet. The report mentions banks investing in AI, but what about the millions of small farmers? Without universal digital literacy and clean data pipelines, AI will only widen inequality. Policy needs to be inclusive, not just for urban elites.
As someone who works with AI in Bengaluru, I can tell you that data quality is our biggest headache too. But India has the advantage of scale and a thriving startup ecosystem pushing for digitisation. Pakistan's problem is more structural—their statistical systems are from the 1980s! 🔄 They should collaborate with countries like Estonia or Singapore for data governance models. Otherwise, even ChatGPT adoption won't help in the long run.
I'm an AI researcher from the US, and I've seen similar gaps in data infrastructure across South Asia. The key issue is political will—Pakistan's government changes frequently, making long-term digital policy hard. In India, despite bureaucracy, NITI Aayog and MeitY have at least pushed for national AI strategy. Pakistan needs a dedicated Data Commission to clean up its act. Without that, AI will remain a toy for the rich.
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