LAHORE: Google and Tech Valley, a social enterprise, celebrated two years of “Digital Sahafat” (journalism), under which over 4,000 journalists, media practitioners, and students were trained across Pakistan.
Google’s Digital Sahafat programme has trained journalists, media practitioners and students through over 60 master trainers across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan since 2024, Tech Valley disclosed on Thursday.
The participants were trained to use Google AI tools to verify information, work more efficiently and build sustainable newsroom practices. The event marked the program’s progress since 2024 and its expansion into Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The event was attended by Ali Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab on AI, and media industry leaders such as Sultana Siddiqui, founder and chairperson of Hum Network.
They were joined by representatives from the Google and Tech Valley team, including Kate Beddoe, managing director, News Partnerships, APAC, and Umar Farooq, founder and CEO of Tech Valley.
Policymakers, senior journalists, media executives and program participants were also present at the event.
On this occasion, Ali Dar said that no government can do this alone; “It takes Google, Tech Valley, our universities, and our media houses working together. That to me is what future-forward Pakistan means.”
The Founder and CEO of Tech Valley said, “Our objective is not simply to introduce technology, but to build the capacity to sustain it. Through One Google in Pakistan, we have helped upskill over one million Pakistanis. Digital Sahafat brings that same approach to journalism, and together we are building a trusted, AI-ready Pakistan.”
According to Tech Valley, as we enter the AI era, Pakistani journalists have a unique opportunity to elevate their storytelling and strengthen the verification of online content. To support journalists with hands-on access to the latest AI tools and training, Google launched Digital Sahafat in partnership with Tech Valley in September 2024.
Digital Sahafat is a part of Google’s wider support for journalism. Google has partnered with the news industry for more than 20 years, investing over US $550 million in over 7,000 news partners across 120 countries and training 2.5 million journalists and industry professionals worldwide.
In Pakistan, Google and Tech Valley are applying that experience locally, giving journalists practical training in AI tools to verify information, work efficiently and strengthen public trust in the news.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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