Amir Saeed

In a major move to strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem, Pakistan plans to introduce regulatory sandboxes designed to allow enterprises to safely test and experiment with AI applications.

Documents obtained by WealthPK from the Ministry of IT reveal that by 2027, at least 50 companies are expected to take advantage of these controlled testing environments, which form a key part of the government’s AI infrastructure strategy. The AI infrastructure pillar represents a cornerstone of Pakistan’s strategy to strengthen its AI ecosystem, focusing on compute, data, and connectivity capabilities.

Central to this initiative is the creation of a national AI compute grid, which will feature a network of High-Performance Computing (HPC) centres equipped with specialised AI hardware. Industry-driven data centres will also provide AI compute resources to support research, development, and adoption across multiple sectors.

Access to these computational resources will extend to at least 100 academic institutions nationwide, enabling large-scale AI experiments, processing massive datasets, and training sophisticated AI models. Complementing this is the plan to centralise high-quality datasets, adhering to industry and academic standards, while developing national and provincial AI data repositories.

These repositories will facilitate AI access and analysis, particularly for sector-specific applications, thereby strengthening the infrastructure for local model testing and innovation. In addition to HPC and data infrastructure, the policy outlines the establishment of AI hubs in major cities across Pakistan. These hubs are envisioned as innovation ecosystems that bridge the gap between academia and industry, providing institutional support for AI research and commercialisation.

The policy also emphasises the adoption of cloud and open-source AI platforms, urging industry players to leverage public cloud services and contribute to shared AI resources. Partnerships with global AI initiatives are planned to produce approximately 50 new AI models per year, ensuring Pakistan’s participation in international AI communities while promoting domestic data and model accessibility.

Coordinated through Centres of Excellence (CoEs), these sandboxes will facilitate agile regulatory harmonisation and provide companies with a safe platform for innovation. These measures collectively underscore Pakistan’s commitment to building a robust AI infrastructure, combining strategic investment in technology, data, and innovation frameworks to position the country on a global AI map.

Credit: INP-WealthPk