Language key to AI development, economic growth: Shaza Fatima

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2026) Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Tuesday underscored the critical role of language in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI), stressing that it is essential for technological development, national identity, and economic growth.

Addressing an event, the minister said that while digital connectivity and AI dominate current discourse, language remains the fundamental building block of emerging technologies.

She said that systems such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) rely heavily on corpus linguistics, making language central to machine learning and AI development.

She added that the strength of linguistic datasets directly influences the quality of AI systems.

“A foreign language can never be fully neutral to local culture, religion, and social values,” she said, warning that failure to develop local language datasets could lead to the marginalization—and eventual disappearance—of those languages.

Highlighting Pakistan’s linguistic diversity, she called for the urgent digitization of regional languages, including Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi, Balochi, Seraiki, and Hindko.

She described these “low-resource languages” as the “lowest-hanging fruit,” where improvements in datasets could yield significant gains in AI development.

The minister said the government is working to strengthen urdu datasets and incorporate indigenous perspectives into machine learning models.

She also announced plans to form a consortium of linguists and AI experts to develop Urdu terminology for modern technological concepts, addressing a critical gap that limits accessibility for non-English speakers.

“Without vocabulary in their own language, many children cannot even imagine or aspire to modern technological roles,” she observed.

Discussing employment trends, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said AI and technology are rapidly reshaping job markets, making it essential to integrate technological tools across all disciplines rather than treating IT as a standalone field.

Referring to initiatives announced during Indus AI Week, she highlighted a $1 billion investment package, one million AI training opportunities, and 10,000 PhD scholarships aimed at building a future-ready workforce.

She stressed that productivity per capita remains a major challenge for Pakistan and that leveraging AI could significantly boost economic output. “The goal is not to replace skills but to amplify them through technology,” she said.

On policy measures, the minister pointed to Pakistan’s National AI Policy, which includes ethical AI as a core pillar, emphasizing the need to address biases in AI systems related to gender, race, and culture.

She also highlighted ongoing efforts to establish a national open data portal, enabling researchers and innovators to access sanitized government data for technological development.

The minister called for collaboration among government, academia, industry, and international partners to build standardized, high-quality multilingual datasets.

She further said that advancements such as real-time translation, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech systems depend on robust language datasets, warning that Pakistan risks being left behind if it fails to invest in these areas.

Emphasizing the economic potential of language-driven technologies, particularly in business process outsourcing (BPO) and the localization of industries—she urged students and professionals across all disciplines to integrate AI into their fields to remain competitive in the global job market.