TIME is running out. According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the UNDP this past Tuesday, Pakistan ranks among the 26 states that scored the lowest on its Human Development Index. In terms of quality of life, it is ranked at a measly 168th out of 193 countries. It is the only country in South Asia, apart from Afghanistan, that is listed in the ‘low human development’ category. The rest of the 24 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. But there is a silver lining in this dark cloud. This year’s report, which focuses on the possibilities unlocked by AI for human development, notes that, if adopted strategically, technology can significantly enhance human potential. It has now been a year since the UNDP’s Pakistan arm published the National Human Development Report 2024, which had been subtitled ‘Doing Digital for Development’. Disappointingly, the agency has noted that Pakistan’s digital landscape remains largely unchanged since then, even though it is home to one of the world’s largest workforces of freelancers and promising AI talent. Pakistan’s problem is that it has struggled to address digital inequalities, which mirror existing socioeconomic divisions.

A large chunk of Pakistan’s population of some 250m is at risk of economic impoverishment if the state does not prioritise investments in digital development. Half of the country still does not have access to smartphones, computers and even basic internet services, according to UNDP. With the rise of AI, the ‘have nots’ — especially the 42pc of the workforce that is currently engaged in automatable jobs, as estimated by the agency — are at risk of being left further impoverished while the privileged few — those who not only have access to modern technologies but also to tools that can teach them how to utilise them — are catapulted forward. It is these inequalities that Pakistani policymakers must be constantly wary of and work to mitigate as AI gradually becomes more mainstream and starts threatening jobs held by low- or unskilled workers. As the UNDP points out, legislative measures, like the National AI Policy 2024 introduced by Pakistan, are just not enough: the state needs to proactively ensure universal access to digital tools, affordable infrastructure and public sector readiness to reap the benefits of the AI transformation. The opportunity is there: it is a matter of whether we take it or get left behind.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025