Mr Noman Ali Kalhoro works at the Ministry of Foreign Office of Pakistan. He has an M.Phil in IR from Iqra University Islamabad and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Malaysia.
Introduction
In May 2023, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication published the first draft national Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy document for Pakistan. The policy addresses a broad spectrum of national targets under four pillars to achieve AI superiority. The objective of the national AI policy is to place Pakistan in a competitive position to ensure AI integration while keeping global trends in mind.
Defining Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is swiftly becoming a field of technology that is catching the attention of policymakers, defence-based think tanks, investors, and international intellectuals. The recent initiatives by various governments around the world have evidenced the importance of AI integration. To understand the concept behind such remarkable technology, it is vital to study the definition of AI which, in simple terms, means the ability to learn and perform certain actions to achieve an objective.
John McCarthy who first coined the term defines AI as the process of making machines smart so they may behave like humans. Machine Learning is AI that is equipped with learning from data or experience to be able to improve knowledge. Another component of AI is Deep Learning or the usage of neural networks which are often usable from small data to big data.
Within this backdrop lies the art of algorithm which is a step-by-step written process done by a computer programmer to perform the act of intelligence. Generally, AI programs focus on certain cognitive skills which are learning, reasoning, self-correction, and creativity.
Defining National Security
Considering AI offers efficiency, productivity, and time-saving, it can strengthen the domains of national security. Ryan Laverick notes that three main dimensions of military, information, and economic superiority are more likely to be impacted by AI. In terms of the military, defence strategies are highly influenced by AI since it can predict threats. For example, Israel’s usage of the Gospel (AI recognition device) against threats in Gaza.
AI can lead the new industrial revolution since it offers autonomous results from automation. The economic output it can offer is substantial. In regards to informational superiority, AI can gather data and process it without human interaction for intelligence gathering.
From a strategic point of view, AI impacts the national security strategy at three levels: diagnosis, an understanding of the strategic landscape in terms of the regional and global; decision-making, which involves the strategic employment of national power according to the nation’s values and principles; and assessment which is rethinking and revisiting decisions taken above to plan better.
Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the US
The National Artificial Intelligence Act 2020 was made to ensure United States leadership in AI research and development; to lead the world in developing trustworthy AI systems; to prepare the current and future workforce of the country with AI integration across all parts of society; and to make sure there is coordination in terms of development among all stakeholders.
The National Artificial Initiative Research and Development Strategic Plan (2023) is another document that houses the idea of sustaining the leadership of the US on research. The purpose behind emphasizing research and development is to identify risks. This document echoes the key points mentioned above with 9 strategies. The 9th strategy is the latest update to this document since 2019.
Strategy 1 talks about investments and research in the field of AI. Strategy 2 discusses human-based AI collaboration in terms of how it can benefit human day-to-day lives. Strategy 3 emphasizes on ethical consideration of AI in society. Strategy 4 encapsulates the idea of safety and secure systems. Strategy 5 talks about the openness of AI datasets for the public. Strategy 6 orients towards measurement and evaluation of AI systems for better utilisation.
Strategy 7 reflects the need for understanding the workforce demands viz-viz with AI developments. Strategy 8 is about public-private partnerships for better results. Finally, strategy 9 highlights international cooperation for AI research.
Artificial Intelligence Strategy of China
In 2017, the Chinese leadership developed the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan which is the strategy of integrating AI systems into society. The document simply states that by 2030, China aims to become the world leader in AI. The State Council further defined the time frame for achieving certain goals. For instance, by 2020, they aimed to maintain competition and develop policies. By 2025, the Chinese leadership believes in achieving a breakthrough in terms of AI theory and applications.
Lastly, by 2030, they aim to become the pivotal place on earth for AI innovation. This development plan aims to hit three key areas which are international competition, economic growth, and social governance. As with the United States’ initiative, China also plans on partnering up with its private community.
Status of Artificial Intelligence in Pakistan
Under the banner of Digitalize Pakistan, the draft national Artificial Intelligence policy aims to raise awareness among the public on AI, work on developing the existing workforce, invest in R&D, and develop a regulation framework and ethical practices. Every country’s national AI strategy has been placed on certain pillars, the document prioritises four elements: market enablement; AI awareness and readiness; building a progressive and trusted environment; and transformation and evolution.
Aneel Salman argues that there is a lack of measurable objectives, clarification, and ethical considerations. However, what is far more important than the above finding is the fact that there is an absence of implementing mechanisms. In simple terms, there is no clear strategy for integrating AI technology into multiple sections of society.
The Need for an AI Strategy for Pakistan
An AI strategy needs to be constructed, encouraged, and supported to contribute at the national and international levels. Although the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication came out with the draft national AI policy for Pakistan in May 2023, the essence of the strategy is missing. The purpose of developing an AI policy is to create a competitive posture. However, without a roadmap, one can not lead the country towards an AI revolution with a policy.
The policy needs guiding principles followed by an ideology that further gives shape to a strategy for achieving a set goal. If either of the steps is missing, the jigsaw will crumble. Similarly, Pakistan has historically failed to achieve certain goals due to various reasons. These include political turmoil, undemocratic regimes, short-term and elite-based economics, etcetera. However, in the midst of all this lies the absence of a strategy for achieving certain goals.
By strategy, I mean a roadmap on how to achieve a goal step by step. The roadmap includes the purpose of initiating a policy followed by how it can be achieved through specifically mentioned steps constructed by experts in the field. For instance, the United States’ AI policy, the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative, is backed by AI Strategy documents that showcase steps on achieving the pillars.
The reason behind strategizing a policy is to achieve better decision-making and coordination and to provide direction in integrating AI into all depths of society. Pakistan has already missed out on the industrial and information revolution. Missing out on the AI revolution is compromising the economic and national security front.
Recommendations
Securitize the Scope of Artificial Intelligence
The sole purpose of constructing an Artificial Intelligence policy for the government is to integrate the technology into the socio-economic realm of society. However, the draft national AI policy does not fully showcase the roadmap for implementation. Nevertheless, there are key recommendations that the Pakistani government may take based on the AI strategies of other countries. First and foremost, the AI scope must be securitized and considered a priority in the national security apparatus.
Realign Pillars of the Draft National AI Policy
Since there are loopholes in the draft national AI policy, they must be fixed accordingly. Starting with the pillars alignment, the document highlights four pillars which are arranged differently in the executive summary portion and then in the policy drivers section. In the executive summary, market enablement is given priority, while in the policy driver section, enabling AI through awareness and readiness is prioritised. Thus, the pillars mentioned in the draft national AI policy must be rearranged according to the domestic situation in Pakistan.
For instance, the first pillar is market enablement which is not sustainable as Pakistan still faces digital infrastructure incapability. Carrying on with technological advancement in an uneven topography will create a digital gap. Therefore, the first pillar should be focused on AI research and development. This pillar should house the idea of awareness, readiness, and adopting measures in all socio-economic settings. It should lay a strong foundation to build digital infrastructure and create avenues to invest. However, to be able to execute this, Pakistan lacks financial resources and a diverse space of experts which leads the country to a dilemma as Pakistan is already in a debt cycle, both internally and externally.
Nevertheless, the strategy to overcome this is not difficult. Pakistan can use its geoeconomic pivot to increase its foreign direct investment. For example, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project to lead Pakistan as a connectivity hub. Leveraging that, Pakistan can work with China to acquire knowledge and financial means to import knowledge and resources to establish digital infrastructures. Similarly, other platforms such as the Special Invest Facilitation Council (SIFC) can be utilised in seeking resources to help build a strong digital foundation.
Establishing a Coordination Unit under the Prime Minister’s Leadership
To further solidify the process of implementation strategy for AI, there should be a unit that acts as a management committee as stated in the draft national AI policy. However, since I argue that Artificial Intelligence is a matter of national security, this unit should be under the Prime Minister’s leadership. This committee will be composed of representatives from the National Security Division, National Security Committee, AI experts, academians, public administrators, civil society, and relevant stakeholders from each of the pillars. This unit will be in charge of instructing in-line ministries to create AI strategies to achieve full AI adoption.
The Foreign Office must also consider AI technology integration in the attestation department. The creation of an AI-led system can cut costs and provide satisfactory services. Similarly, other government agencies such as the Ministry of Climate Change can use AI-tech to identify climate-prone areas and mitigate damages through it. For this to be successful, a strategic plan from the top must be initiated, preferably from the unit mentioned above.
Time-Frame Based Objectives
The first initiative after publishing an AI strategy document followed by initiatives by all government agencies should be a demonstration of a time-frame progress trajectory that will outline pillars meant to be attained by a specific deadline. In the draft national AI policy, targets within each pillar are estimated to be achieved within a certain year. For example, the document states that the target one (public awareness of AI) pillar: enabling AI through awareness & readiness should be achieved by 2026.
Spending less than two percent of the GDP on education and expecting that the public will be aware of AI by 2026 is not a realistic goal. Therefore, keeping the domestic realities in check is vital for the country to achieve a realistic goal. The time frame should be set according to the stages of the pillars.
The first time-frame should run from 2024-2026 which will lead under the banner of AI research and development where building the fundamentals such as reliable and quality data services, and providing skills to the workforce and digital/physical infrastructure are a priority. This can be achieved through public-private partnerships and international alliances.
The second stage should then occur from 2026-2028 and be about working on AI theory and application. This is where the resources accumulated would be used to set up national AI centres nationwide. On top of that, social participation can be promoted through utilising school and university curricula where youth around the country can participate in innovation programs.
The last phase should occur between 2028 and 2030 as the transformation and evolution stage. During this period, AI applications should be in mature use across the pivotal sectors of society. Ethical usage of AI framework should be established by the IT Ministry.
Conclusion
It is time for Pakistani policymakers to move beyond the policy-making initiative and work on strategic plans for those policies. The country’s leadership understands what problems exist and what needs to be done, but the problem occurs when the ‘how’ part gets lost over the years due to changes in political power or changes in economic preferences.
Artificial Intelligence offers Pakistan a brilliant chance at achieving safety, dignity, prosperity, progress, or in a nutshell national security. Deriving from the traditional approach, Artificial Intelligence’s influence in the military domain can result in autonomous weapons systems such as the Lethal Autonomous Weapons System (LAWS).
Another vital contribution of Artificial Intelligence in the national security paradigm is the economic sector. AI has been installed in multiple customer service-related companies to provide quality services. For instance, chatbots are installed on multiple services-based websites.
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