Islamabad — Pakistan is set to roll out AI regulatory sandboxes as part of its national strategy to strengthen the country’s artificial intelligence ecosystem. The initiative will allow enterprises to safely test and experiment with AI applications in controlled environments, with at least 50 companies expected to benefit by 2027, according to the Ministry of Information Technology.
The sandboxes will be managed through Centres of Excellence (CoEs), offering companies flexible regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation while maintaining oversight.
National AI Infrastructure Strategy
At the core of the plan is the creation of a national AI compute grid, powered by a network of High-Performance Computing (HPC) centres equipped with specialized AI hardware. This infrastructure will provide compute resources accessible to more than 100 academic institutions, enabling large-scale AI experimentation, advanced model training, and massive dataset processing.
Data Repositories and Connectivity
The government also aims to establish national and provincial AI data repositories, providing high-quality, standardized datasets to support both industry and academia. These repositories will enhance development of sector-specific AI applications across health, agriculture, governance, and other fields.
AI Hubs and Global Collaboration
AI hubs will be set up in major cities to link academia with industry, supporting research, commercialization, and workforce development. The policy encourages the use of cloud services and open-source platforms, and sets an ambition for Pakistan to co-develop around 50 new AI models annually through collaboration with global AI initiatives.
Positioning Pakistan on the AI Map
By combining investment in compute, data, connectivity, and policy innovation, Pakistan seeks to build a robust AI ecosystem that attracts global partnerships, supports enterprises, and prepares the next generation of talent. Officials say the move underscores the government’s intent to place Pakistan firmly on the global AI map.
