Pakistan ready for AI in governance?

In the digital age, the world is undergoing a significant shift. Artificial intelligence (AI), once the stuff of science fiction and confined to elite research labs, is now an active agent in shaping economies, societies, and governance structures.

The private sector has already undergone significant transformation; algorithms curate our news, predict our purchases, and even diagnose our ailments. Increasingly, governments too are turning to AI to solve complex administrative problems. The question facing Pakistan is urgent and multifaceted: Can this nation, with its legacy of bureaucratic inertia and fragile democratic institutions, effectively and responsibly adopt AI in public governance?

Digital transformation is no longer a luxury; it is a developmental necessity. For a country like Pakistan, grappling with sprawling urbanisation, population pressures and systemic inefficiencies, the digitisation of governance could be a game-changer. Pakistan’s bureaucratic model, inherited from colonial structures, is largely paper-based, highly centralised and often unresponsive to the needs of its citizens. The resulting service delivery failures contribute directly to disillusionment with state institutions.

In the broader context of digital transformation, AI promises to inject much-needed agility, accuracy, and scalability into public administration. The potential is immense, from enhancing the transparency of electoral processes to managing natural disasters with real-time data analytics. However, technological adoption must be coupled with institutional reforms, policy frameworks, and public dialogue. Without these, Pakistan risks not transformation but regression, swapping inefficient bureaucracy for unaccountable technocracy.

AI’s transformative power lies in its ability to process vast datasets, identify patterns, and make predictive recommendations at speeds far beyond human capacity. For Pakistan, this could translate into meaningful reforms across multiple domains.

Take agriculture, for instance, a sector that employs a significant portion of the workforce but is plagued by inefficiencies and climate vulnerability. Using satellite imagery and meteorological data, AI models could forecast pest outbreaks, soil degradation or water shortages, enabling preemptive policy action. In public health, machine learning can analyse epidemiological data to anticipate disease outbreaks or optimise resource allocation during emergencies, such as pandemics or natural disasters.

AI also has the potential to revolutionise the delivery of welfare services. While impactful, Pakistan’s Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has faced issues related to corruption and inclusion errors. An AI-driven system could automate eligibility verification, detect fraudulent entries in real time and ensure that resources are directed to those who need them most.

AI can support more evidence-driven approaches in policymaking. Ministries often lack the tools to analyse social indicators deeply or simulate the long-term impacts of policy decisions. AI tools, ranging from natural language processing to predictive analytics, can model poverty trends, assess educational outcomes and forecast economic disparities, allowing for more nuanced and adaptive strategies.

Yet, as compelling as these possibilities are, a hasty or uncritical embrace of AI in governance can be perilous, particularly in a country like Pakistan, where institutional checks and balances remain weak.

Data privacy emerges as the most pressing concern. Pakistan lacks a comprehensive data protection law, and citizens currently have negligible control over how private and public entities collect, store, or share their data. Introducing AI systems into such an environment, especially in sensitive domains like healthcare, education or policing, could lead to systemic abuse and gross violations of civil liberties. A state that can monitor its citizens without consent or recourse ceases to be a democratic entity.

Algorithmic bias is another significant hazard. AI systems are not inherently objective; they reflect the biases embedded in their training data. In a society as stratified as Pakistan’s, with deep divisions along lines of class, ethnicity and gender, this can result in the automation of discrimination. A predictive policing algorithm trained on biased crime data could disproportionately target low-income or minority communities, reinforcing cycles of marginalisation rather than breaking them.

Lack of transparency and accountability in AI decision-making compounds these challenges. Algorithms operate as ‘black boxes’, often producing outcomes their developers struggle to explain. Who is accountable if a citizen is denied a subsidy, a school admission, or a medical service based on an AI-generated decision? The programmer? The data scientist? The state agency that deployed the system? Pakistan’s bureaucratic machinery is already opaque; AI without clear lines of accountability could further erode public trust.

The most controversial frontier of AI in governance is surveillance. Pakistan has already taken steps in this direction through initiatives such as the Safe Cities project, which utilises facial recognition technologies to enhance urban security. While apparently aimed at reducing crime, such systems raise concerns about consent, data storage, and potential misuse.

In countries with robust democratic institutions and strong legal safeguards, surveillance technologies are often subject to public oversight. Pakistan, however, faces the dual challenge of fragile civilian institutions and a history of unchecked influence. In such a context, AI-powered surveillance could be easily co-opted for political or sectarian control rather than citizen safety.

Pakistan must carefully examine international models, which often come at the cost of personal freedoms and democratic expression. Emulating this model could exacerbate the authoritarian tendencies already present in the political system.

A deliberate and inclusive policy roadmap is crucial for Pakistan to harness AI's transformative potential while effectively mitigating its associated risks. As the global AI race accelerates, Pakistan must act with foresight to develop an ecosystem that strikes a balance between innovation, responsibility, inclusion, and public trust.

The first and most urgent step is legislation. A robust data protection law must be the cornerstone of responsible AI deployment in the country. This legal framework should establish clear standards for data collection, user consent, secure storage, and provide mechanisms for redressal in case of breaches. It should also empower citizens to control their digital identities and introduce meaningful penalties for misuse by state institutions or private entities.

In tandem with legislation, there is a pressing need for an independent regulatory authority. Much like the Election Commission or Public Accounts Committee, a dedicated body should be entrusted with overseeing the use of AI in the public sector. This authority must audit algorithmic fairness, ensure compliance with privacy laws, and evaluate whether AI systems are transparent, explainable and accountable to the public.

Equally important is investing in AI literacy and capacity building across all levels of the public sector. From entry-level clerks to senior bureaucrats, officials must be equipped to use AI tools and understand their limitations. Overreliance on automation can be just as detrimental as resistance to it. Training initiatives should focus on critical thinking, the ethical use of technology, and the importance of maintaining human oversight in decision-making processes.

Democratic oversight and public engagement must also underpin any national AI strategy. Citizens deserve a voice in determining how AI technologies shape their governance. This requires inclusive mechanisms such as public consultations, parliamentary debates, and informed media discourse to ensure that AI adoption is aligned with democratic norms and societal values.

Lastly, Pakistan must prioritise localised innovation over wholesale adoption of foreign AI models. Encouraging local startups, research institutions, and universities to develop AI solutions that reflect Pakistan’s social, cultural, and linguistic realities will foster relevance and equity and reduce dependency on external technologies. Homegrown innovation is key to building a resilient and inclusive AI future for the country.

The transition from ballots to algorithms is more than a technological evolution; it is a profound political shift. It will determine who gets access to public resources, who is monitored, and who is rendered invisible. If managed responsibly, AI can serve as a force for inclusion, transparency, and improved service delivery. However, if not appropriately managed, it can become another tool of control, exclusion and elite capture.

As Pakistan stands on the brink of digital transformation, the real question is not whether AI in governance is possible. Still, whether it is pursued with the ethical foresight, democratic integrity, and institutional preparedness it demands. The choices we make now will shape the future of governance and the very nature of the Pakistani state in the digital age.

The writer is a researcher at the Sustainable Development Policy

Institute (SDPI),Islamabad. He tweets/posts @junaideconomist