KARACHI: Founder and CEO of Meta Frolic Labs (Pvt) Ltd, warns that Pakistan risks falling further behind in the global artificial intelligence race unless it prioritises education, technological self-sufficiency and the development of local AI capabilities.
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries, transforms labour markets and redefines the global economic landscape, Pakistan faces a critical challenge: how to prepare for a technological revolution that is advancing faster than the country's capacity to adapt.
Omair Ahmed Siddiqui is a seasoned veteran of Pakistan's evolving IT industry, bringing nearly two decades of tactical experience and extensive exposure to modern technologies, business innovation, and digital transformation. He has highlighted the growing risks associated with Pakistan's position in the global AI race, cautioning that the country could face significant economic, employment and security challenges if it fails to develop the knowledge, infrastructure and expertise required to keep pace with emerging technologies.
Leading Meta Frolic Labs, a technology-focused company, Siddiqui operates at the intersection of innovation and the evolving digital economy. Through his perspective on the country's technological challenges, he emphasises the need for Pakistan to move beyond being a consumer of advanced technologies and work towards building the capabilities required to harness them independently.
In his assessment, Pakistan's technological lag does not necessarily shield it from the disruptive consequences of AI. Instead, the country could face many of the same challenges confronting developed economies, despite having fewer resources to respond effectively.
Siddiqui says, "When it comes to the AI Race, Pakistan as a Nation is already in a lag as compared to other developing (third-world) countries. However, the threats imposed by the ever-growing AI could affect, if not equally but considerably as compared to developed nations."
Siddiqui highlights several significant threats that have either already begun to affect the economy or are certain to do so in the future, he explains:
Job Market Disruption
The biggest impact right now is on the job market. Pakistan's Higher Education System has been producing software engineers with average ground knowledge and lesser or in some cases even no exposure to emerging technologies. Right now even most experienced engineers are being victims of job-cuts globally. In Pakistan, since we are lagging in this race, the impact on the Job Market is far lesser as compared to developed nations. But still there is no employment for entry level engineers as AI and Automation has taken over and soon this will impact experienced resources as well. Hence, the unemployment ratio could drastically increase.
Increase in Global Economic Divide
Since the backbone of AI is in control of a handful of nations (mainly US and China) as they own most of the AI models and data centers. Without local infrastructure and self-sufficiency, we will always rely on these monopolies and will end up paying a premium for the tech and AI resources, creating a deficit in dollar reserves.
Brain Drain & Infrastructure Loss
There is still a shortage of Data Scientists and AI Engineers and those who are gaining premium education and knowledge prefer to migrate to wealthier nations to get most out of their skill. Hence creating a brain drain situation in this field as well. Pakistan has observed this phenomenon for decades now, shifting from one industry to another.
Similarly, Pakistan is already facing energy, now to cope up with high-processing demand of local AI models either we pay a premium for outsourced data processing, or set up local data centers which have an immense amount of energy requirement that could add up to the local energy deficit.
Weaken Cybersecurity and Social Stability
AI poses a threat every single day to the nation's core digital assets and infrastructure, and these threats are constantly evolving and learning. Similarly, our under-resourced government may struggle to regulate deepfakes, algorithmic bias, or automated disinformation, which can inflame political instability resulting in riots and sectarian tensions.
"Pakistan stands at a defining crossroads in the global AI race, where the cost of inaction could be far greater than the challenge of catching up. As a nation, we are already walking a knife's edge, and the choices we make today will determine whether we emerge as beneficiaries of this technological revolution or become its victims. Our foremost priority must be to invest in education, advance technological knowledge, and equip our people with the skills to thrive in an AI-driven world. We must learn to harness the power of AI, build our own capabilities, and turn this challenge into an opportunity or risk being left behind in a race that is rapidly reshaping the future of nations."
— Omair Ahmed Siddiqui, Founder and CEO of Meta Frolic Labs (Pvt) Ltd tells The Financial Daily.
