Pakistan is gearing up to launch regulatory sandboxes that will let companies safely test and refine artificial intelligence (AI) solutions under government oversight. The Ministry of IT expects at least 50 companies to participate in these controlled testing environments within the next three years.
This move is part of a sweeping national AI strategy aimed at accelerating innovation while keeping regulations agile.
AI Sandboxes: Controlled Environments for Safer Innovation
The planned sandboxes will be operated through newly established Centres of Excellence (CoEs). These hubs will serve as innovation labs where startups and enterprises can experiment with AI technologies without immediately facing full regulatory hurdles. The goal is to encourage faster development cycles while ensuring safety and compliance.
Building the Backbone: Compute, Data, and Connectivity
At the core of the government’s strategy is the creation of a national AI compute grid powered by a network of High-Performance Computing (HPC) centres. These centres will feature advanced AI hardware and cloud-based systems, giving companies and researchers access to resources that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive.
Industry-driven data centres will complement this infrastructure, extending compute access to more than 100 academic institutions. This will enable large-scale model training, massive data processing, and experimentation at levels currently out of reach for many Pakistani researchers and businesses.
Centralised AI Data Repositories
Another major element of the plan is the rollout of national and provincial AI data repositories. These repositories will store high-quality, standardised datasets for use in academia and industry, providing the foundation for developing sector-specific AI solutions.
By centralising datasets, Pakistan aims to tackle one of the biggest barriers to AI innovation: lack of accessible, clean, and relevant data.
AI Hubs and Global Collaboration
In addition to sandboxes and compute grids, Pakistan will create AI hubs in major cities to strengthen ties between universities, research institutions, and private companies. These hubs will help turn academic research into commercial products, supporting the broader AI startup ecosystem.
The government is also urging greater adoption of cloud services and open-source AI tools, encouraging industry players to share models and resources. International collaboration is another pillar of the plan, with Pakistan seeking partnerships to develop 50 new AI models annually—a significant step toward becoming a regional AI leader.
Why It Matters
This is one of Pakistan’s most comprehensive attempts to build a national AI ecosystem. By combining regulatory sandboxes, HPC-powered infrastructure, curated datasets, and global cooperation, the country is signaling its ambition to catch up with AI powerhouses.
If executed effectively, these initiatives could open doors for AI-driven solutions in healthcare, agriculture, finance, and other key sectors, making Pakistan not just a consumer of global AI innovation but an active contributor.
