ISLAMABAD, Oct 27 (DNA):Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday informed the Senate that Pakistan had joined the World AI Cooperation Organization (WACO), a China-led initiative aimed at promoting transparency, openness and cooperation in artificial intelligence.
Speaking in the Senate, he said around 50 members had joined the organisation and Pakistan had signed its founding document.
He said its headquarters would be in Shanghai and its first council meeting was expected in mid-December.
Meanwhile, replying to a question during Question Hour, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government was implementing the National AI Policy through the National AI Advancement Initiative and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. Training and capacity-building programmes were under way, while further details about scholarships would be provided to the senator, he added.
Responding to another question on AI and social media, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the technology was spreading worldwide and Pakistan could not remain isolated from it.
He acknowledged its potential negative effects and said the government was working to control misuse, including fake news, propaganda, fraud and blackmail.
He said the former FIA cybercrime wing had been replaced by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to address these growing challenges and take legal action.
