Pakistan Initiates Several AI-Based Projects to Grow Safer

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds similar power to transform industrialization to next-generation like the discovery of electricity did in the 20th century and Pakistan has initiated a number of AI-driven projects to mitigate the risk of several natural and manmade crises.

“Some consider AI to be on par with what we saw with the revolution of electricity during the 20th century,” Dr. Yasar Ayaz, CPD/Chairman at National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), Pakistan & Professor of AI & Robotics, NUST said while addressing at the ‘Pakistan Second Artificial Intelligence Summit 2020’ organized online by Total Communications.

Pakistan has initiated AI-based projects to mitigate the risk of

1. Natural disasters (floods, landslides, and earthquakes), manmade disasters (accidents, terrorists, and other malicious activities), and the environment under the concept of a safe city.
2. To detect brain tumors, breast cancer, and lung diseases especially TB.
3. To facilitate crime prediction and investigation.
4. To improve the financial services, energy, agriculture, transport, and healthcare sectors.

“The industrial sector of Pakistan is moving towards the Industry 4.0 version of AI. And robotics-based manufacturing models are now critical for Pakistan,” he said.

“AI is forecasted to add $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030,” he said.

Shabahat Ali Shah, CEO of NITB said: “AI and robotics will replace everything…in the next five years.” He said 60% of the world’s population is active through different digital devices. Their activities have given birth to tons of data especially on cloud technology. This has enabled us to roll out more sophisticated and customer-centric applications through AI.

Technology firms, including the big eight like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, would monetize big data on the cloud to introduce AI applications, he said.

Asif Saleem, Senior Director Banking Advisor Oracle (Japan & Asia Pacific) said that Artificial Intelligence has grown competition in the financial sector – especially among banks. AI is the new (form of) electricity,” he said, adding that nations and industries that opt to deploy AI and robotics-based solutions would lead the world and those who would ignore them would become poor.

Human beings, however, should use AI and robotics in a way to improve their quality of life rather than dominating them. “Small robotic applications have started taking people’s jobs in Pakistan,” he said.

Alain Sanchez, EMEA CISO and Senior Evangelist Fortinet said the introduction of the 4G/5G internet and fast rollouts of technologies and applications have increased the chances of cyber-attacks. “AI is fundamental to device security operations. Human brains cannot do this,” he said.

Other international speakers from different parts of the world also spoke in the webinar. The event also featured two-panel discussions on:

• Is AI Proving its worth in Transforming Businesses?
• Adoption and Facilitation towards Research & Growth of AI.