ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has said the Center of Artificial Intelligence can uplift the nation’s economy through product commercialization and digital exports for economic growth.

He expressed these views during his visit to the National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The visit was aimed at reviewing the progress of the Center and other national centers focused on robotics, cyber security, big data, and cloud computing established by the minister.

He said technology is the backbone of economies globally and countries have started investing heavily in AI for their national transformation.

During his visit, Ahsan Iqbal was given a comprehensive briefing on the progress achieved by NCAI and the other national centers.

Chairman National Center of Artificial Intelligence, Professor Dr Yasar Ayaz, gave an overview of the National Center of Emerging Technologies and focused on NCAI’s pivotal role in shaping the nation’s technological landscape.

The Minister asked NCAI to launch AI training for Federal Secretaries and senior public servants so that they understand how AI can transform their domains and bring about the right changes through AI integration.

He also emphasized that National Center of Artificial Intelligence to reconvene the Task Force meeting and include AI experts from corporate sectors, both international and Pakistani AI top talent.

The Minister said the move will maximize their input and allow for learning from them, enabling the initiation of the roadmap as soon as possible.

Ahsan Iqbal reiterated the importance of collaboration between academia and industry for the commercialization of tech products, curriculum reforms, including the national centers for accreditation and standardization and the potential of Artificial Intelligence to drive advancements across various sectors in Pakistan.