Key Takeaways
- JazzWorld CEO Aamir Ibrahim discusses the shift from digital to intelligence divide.
- Pakistan should aim to become an 'AI maker' rather than just a consumer.
- Ibrahim emphasizes the need for infrastructure to participate in global AI economy.
JazzWorld CEO Aamir Ibrahim has highlighted a significant shift in the digital landscape, suggesting that the next major divide is not about access to connectivity and information, but rather access to capability through artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit, Ibrahim drew a distinction between the traditional digital divide and what he termed the 'intelligence divide,' noting that AI provides access to capabilities across various sectors including education, analysis, information, and software development.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that every Pakistani has access to intelligence, stating, 'We need to make sure that there is an intelligent future for every Pakistani — a smartphone in every hand, and intelligence available to everyone.'
Ibrahim linked the challenge to the need for Pakistan to build the necessary infrastructure to participate in the global AI economy. He outlined the key inputs for AI factories, which include energy, compute, data centers, and data, and highlighted that the outputs can range from AI inference and tokens to software, code, video, and audio.
The CEO also stressed that Pakistan should aspire to become an 'AI maker' rather than just a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere. This would involve building systems capable of serving global markets while understanding Pakistan’s languages, culture, security requirements, and local context.
In his remarks, Ibrahim also touched on the concept of sovereign AI, which extends beyond keeping data within national borders to having a degree of control over the country’s cognitive layer. He argued that this is crucial for ensuring that Pakistan can leverage AI for its strategic and economic advantage.
During the summit’s closing leadership dialogue, Ibrahim continued to emphasize the need to translate Pakistan’s strategic potential into economic opportunity. He highlighted the importance of compute, data centers, reliable energy, and connectivity as the infrastructure needed to participate in the global AI value chain.
The discussion was part of the summit’s inaugural session, 'The Next Move: Reading the Moment,' and the closing leadership dialogue, 'From Strategic Relevance to National Advantage.' Other participants included Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder and Chairman, Nutshell Group and former Minister for Investment, and Dr Faisal Hashmi, Senior Director Public Affairs, Sustainability & Communication, Pakistan & Afghanistan Region, The Coca-Cola Company. The session was moderated by Fahd Husain, Anchor, Columnist, and Executive Editor, The Express Tribune.
Ibrahim’s remarks underscore the growing importance of AI in shaping the future of technology and its potential impact on Pakistan’s economic and social development.
We need to make sure that there is an intelligent future for every Pakistani — a smartphone in every hand, and intelligence available to everyone.
Aamir Ibrahim, JazzWorld CEO
