Pakistan Rises in Global Responsible AI Rankings

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly moved from research laboratories into classrooms, hospitals, financial services, agriculture, manufacturing and public administration. As governments around the world race to harness AI’s economic potential, another competition is quietly unfolding: who can govern AI responsibly?

This is precisely what the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) measures. Rather than assessing which country develops the most advanced AI models, the Index evaluates whether governments have established the laws, institutions, policies and safeguards necessary to ensure AI serves people while protecting fundamental rights.

The publication of the Global Index on Responsible AI 2026 therefore offers encouraging news for Pakistan. Compared with the first edition in 2024, Pakistan has made one of its most significant advances in digital governance, improving its global position from 68th to 51st among the countries assessed. More importantly, Pakistan’s overall responsible AI governance score increased substantially, reflecting the rapid expansion of its national policy framework.

For a country that was only beginning to formulate a national AI strategy a few years ago, this progress deserves recognition.

International indices should never become ends in themselves. Their real value lies in providing an objective assessment of national preparedness.

Unlike innovation rankings that reward research output or patent activity, GIRAI evaluates whether governments are building the governance architecture necessary for trustworthy AI. It examines issues such as ethics, inclusion, transparency, safety, public sector accountability, workforce preparedness and protection of citizens from AI-related harms.
In other words, the Index asks a simple but increasingly important question: Is a country ready not only to use AI, but also to govern it responsibly?

Pakistan’s improved performance suggests that the answer is becoming increasingly positive.

New Generation of Digital Governance

Several policy initiatives have contributed to this improvement. The National AI Policy has provided the country’s first comprehensive strategic direction for AI development. The Digital Nation Pakistan Act has established an overarching framework for digital transformation. The newly established Pakistan Digital Authority promises stronger institutional coordination, while the Draft Data Governance Policy introduces one of the most comprehensive public-sector data governance frameworks ever proposed in a developing country.

Alongside these reforms, Pakistan has expanded cybersecurity institutions, strengthened digital public infrastructure, invested in AI skills development, promoted AI education initiatives and launched programmes designed to prepare young people for an AI-driven economy.

Taken together, these developments represent a transition from isolated digital projects towards a coherent national digital governance ecosystem. This transformation has not gone unnoticed internationally.

Policy is Easier Than Implementation

Yet the GIRAI report contains an equally important warning. Across the Global South, responsible AI governance is expanding rapidly, but most new frameworks remain non-binding policy instruments rather than enforceable laws. The report concludes that many developing countries are adopting the language of responsible AI without yet establishing the legal and institutional mechanisms needed to enforce it. Pakistan is no exception.

Most of the country’s recent progress reflects policy development. The more difficult phase now begins: the implementation. Policies must translate into institutions. Principles must become operational standards. Government agencies require technical capacity, regulatory guidance and sustainable financing. Citizens need effective mechanisms to challenge automated decisions that affect their rights. Public authorities must themselves become transparent about how AI is being deployed in delivering public services.

These are the areas where international rankings will increasingly distinguish leaders from followers.

From AI Adoption to AI Assurance

Pakistan now faces an important strategic choice. Many countries remain focused on encouraging AI adoption. That is necessary but no longer sufficient. The next generation of digital competitiveness will depend upon trust.

Investors increasingly seek jurisdictions with predictable governance. International partners want trusted data ecosystems. Businesses require regulatory certainty. Citizens expect safeguards against discrimination, misinformation, privacy violations and opaque automated decision-making. Responsible AI governance is therefore becoming an economic asset, not merely a regulatory exercise.

Countries that can demonstrate trustworthy AI ecosystems will be better positioned to attract investment, develop digital exports and participate in global AI supply chains.

Pakistan’s Next Frontier

The next stage of reform should focus on converting strategic ambition into operational capability. Pakistan should consider adopting comprehensive AI legislation that establishes clear legal obligations for high-risk AI systems. Government agencies using AI should maintain public registers of significant AI applications and undertake algorithmic impact assessments where systems affect citizens’ rights. Procurement standards should ensure that AI acquired by the public sector meets recognised principles of transparency, accountability and human oversight.

Independent oversight mechanisms, periodic AI audits and stronger protections for workers affected by automation would further strengthen public confidence.

Equally important is continued investment in AI education and research. Pakistan’s young population represents one of its greatest competitive advantages. Building AI literacy alongside responsible governance will determine whether the country becomes merely a consumer of imported AI technologies or an active contributor to the global AI economy.

Pakistan’s improved standing in the Global Index on Responsible AI should not be viewed simply as an encouraging ranking. It represents evidence that the country has begun building the governance foundations necessary for an AI-enabled future.

The real opportunity now lies not in celebrating a higher position on an international league table but in using this momentum to establish Pakistan as a regional leader in responsible AI governance.

The coming decade will not be defined solely by which countries develop the most powerful AI systems. It will also be shaped by which governments succeed in ensuring that AI remains lawful, transparent, accountable and aligned with the public interest.
Pakistan has taken important first steps. The challenge now is to convert promising policies into lasting institutions that earn the confidence of citizens, investors and the international community alike.