Pakistan has officially entered the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape with the launch of the Pakistan Chapter of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), founded in 1958.
As per media reports, the launch event, held at a hotel in Karachi on Friday, saw over 200 executives, professors, researchers, and dignitaries in attendance.
Chaired by Muhammad Tahir, the newly appointed Chair of AAAI Pakistan, the event highlighted the vision and opportunities this global affiliation brings to Pakistan. “This is not just a chapter. It’s Pakistan’s official entry into the global AI ecosystem,” Tahir stated.
Through AAAI, Pakistan will gain access to over 15,000 international AI research papers, global university collaborations, startup funding, international hackathons, and the potential to host the official AAAI Regional Conference in Pakistan.
The event was attended by government officials and tech leaders, including Dr. Yasar Ayaz, Chairman of the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), who hailed the AAAI initiative as a game-changer for the country’s AI future.
The event also featured a historic AI-generated video appearance of Jack McCarthy, the late founder of AI and AAAI, marking the significance of the launch. Jibran Jamshad, Regional Director at Microsoft, shared insights on how AAAI’s global influence has contributed to breakthroughs like ChatGPT and other AI tools, emphasizing that the chapter will integrate Pakistani talent into the global AI narrative.
The official AAAI Pakistan website will launch on August 14, 2025, offering memberships, research access, and community updates. With the participation of military officials, academic leaders, and corporate sponsors, this launch signals a new era for Pakistan’s tech sector, potentially generating over $200 million in AI-driven economic impact and fostering international collaboration in education and innovation.
