Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja stressed the government’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI) training in education and the workforce, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.

The interest shown by children in AI tools has doubled during the past year, according to a report, with businesses also employing them on a wide scale. However, experts have warned that AI’s development should not be guided by market forces alone and stressed its regulation.

Khawaja met with Google’s Regional AI Developer Ecosystem and Communities team on Friday to explore strategic collaboration in advancing Pakistan’s AI landscape.

In the policy discussion, the minister emphasised the government’s strategic focus on AI training across three critical domains: mainstream education from kindergarten to university; workforce development, including freelancers; and industrial innovation.

According to Radio Pakistan, the minister also stressed the need for inclusive access to tools such as the AI Seekho programme, sandbox environments and cloud credits.

Meanwhile, the Google team provided an overview of their developer ecosystem in the region. It highlighted the contributions of Google Developer Groups, community-based AI initiatives, and impactful platforms like Taleemabad.

The minister called for deeper collaboration between Google and the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, as well as for the effective integration of Pakistan into the global AI ecosystem, according to state-run PTV.

Islamabad is set to host Google I/O Extended, a global series of community-led tech meetups for developers, today and tomorrow. Lahore will hold the session on July 26.

Earlier this week, Pakistani platform SOCByte launched the country’s first AI-powered cybersecurity programme designed to provide critical information to professionals.

Last week, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called for the integration of AI into the national development strategy and announced the establishment of a national AI fund to provide financial support for innovative ideas and pilot projects.

In June, the education ministry and Google announced a “strategic collaboration” to improve access to education and support the development of a digital ecosystem for learning.

In March, the Sindh government, in collaboration with Google and Tech Valley, announced more than 30,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships for public sector universities to empower youth with globally recognised digital skills across the province.