ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said that joint efforts are needed for the uplift of the country, and it is the need of the hour to adopt emerging technologies.

She was addressing MoU signing ceremony among Jazz, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), and National Information Technology Board (NITB) at the committee room of Ministry of IT and Telecom. IT Secretary Zarrar Hasham Khan and IT Division Special Secretary Azfar Manzoor were also present on the occasion.

Khawaja said that we have to move along with the world in the field of technology. She said the collaboration among Jazz, NUST and NITB will not only foster innovation but also position Pakistan as leader in AI advancements, ensuring our capabilities align with global standards. This initiative is a significant leap forward in leveraging technology for national development, she added.

Minister of State for IT Khawaja emphasised the need of developing Pakistan’s first Local Large Language Model (LLM) within timeline. She said that job opportunities can be created for youth through academia-industry linkages. We have to equip our youth with latest digital skills, she maintained.

Speaking on the occasion, Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim said Artificial Intelligence and innovation in big language models have great importance for country’s future. We are committed to form that local ecosystem that fulfils needs of our communities, he said.

He said teachers, doctors and farmers will be provided tools and relevant information in their respective languages. Our target is to develop an active model in coming months which will provide basis for a revolutionary AI Framework in Pakistan.

Officers of Ministry of IT and its attached departments, CEO Jazz Aamir Ibrahim and Rector NUST Engineer Javed Mahmood Bukhari were also present.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024