OpenAI ChatGPT: Generative AI Buzz in Pakistan

[Riaz Haq]

A Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB discovered in June that over 100,000 ChatGPT user accounts were compromised and their credentials found on the Dark Web. Among the accounts reported compromised, India topped with 12,632, followed by Pakistan with 9,217 and Brazil with 6,531. Bangladesh witnessed the fewest instances with 2,463. This report gave a glimpse of the high interest level of Indians and Pakistanis in generative AI.  Another report attributed to Similarweb, which tracks popularity of websites by number of visitors, ranked ChatGPT in Pakistan at number 7, ahead of Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Globally ChatGPT website is ranked 17th. Prior to this, there was a series of news reports about the launch of Presidential Initiative for Artificial Intelligence and Computing (PIAIC) by President Arif Alvi, and then came the government's policy to train one million AI experts in the country by 2027. Pakistanis published 2,600 AI-related research papers from 2016 to 2020, according to Statista. 

Top 10 Countries by Number of ChatGPT Accounts Compromised. Source:...

Back in 2017, then Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated a National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in Islamabad. It was followed by a Rs 1.1 billion budgetary allocation for select universities with AI research to be coordinated by NCAI. In 2020, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) set up a Center of Artificial Intelligence and Computing (CENTAIC). 

While OpenAI is the first to offer a Generative AI model trained on vast amounts of data, Google has also joined the generative AI race with its own offering. Google BARD appears to have capabilities similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Very little is known about the specific datasets used for training either of them, raising some trust issues about the results produced by them. 

Training/Using Generative AI Foundation Models. Source: Analytics V...

Top global cloud operators Amazon, Google and Microsoft are now offering generative AI services to their clients for an additional fee. Cloud apps developers in Pakistan and elsewhere can train these base  models on their custom datasets to develop AI applications for agriculture, business, education, finance, healthcare, law etc. The AI market in Pakistan is currently estimated at $123 million by Statista Market Insights. 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently featured four Pakistani startups at the forefront of AI/ML: SalesFlo, Ozoned Digital, XpertFlow and Trukkr.  SalesFlo offers sales software for FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) companies.  Ozoned Digital caters to the technology needs of the insurance industry.  XpertFlow is an AI-powered preventative healthcare company.  Trukkr provides financial services and technology for logistics.  These and other startups are well positioned to take advantage of the new generative AI services being offered by cloud vendors. 

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[Riaz Haq]

ChatGPT Rapidly Penetrating In Pakistan Amongst Youth

https://thetruthinternational.com/latest-updates/chatgpt-rapidly-pe...

Similarweb, a renowned ranking service for internet services and websites, ranks ChatGPT at 7th position among the popular websites for Pakistani internet users.

This ranking places ChatGPT ahead of Instagram at 8th position, Twitter at 9th position, and TikTok at 10th. This trend shows the rapidly growing acceptance and usage of AI-powered conversational agents in Pakistan’s digital landscape.

Globally, OpenAI’s website secures the 17th spot with astounding 1.90 billion visits in the month of May alone.

Notably, over 81% of the visitors fall within the age range of 18 to 44 years, indicating ChatGPT’s widespread appeal among young and tech-savvy individuals worldwide.

The rapid success of ChatGPT is connected to its wide range of capabilities. Its users can leverage the chatbot to easily access desired information, generate content, and perform various tasks.

Its intuitive interface and powerful AI technology have made it an invaluable tool for individuals seeking instant answers, article writing assistance, and more.

[Riaz Haq]

Generative AI Will Sprint Into Your Business Through Four Doors


https://www.forrester.com/blogs/generative-ai-will-sprint-into-your...

Generative AI (gen AI) was born on November 30, 2022, with the release of ChatGPT, and it’s been moving 100 miles an hour ever since, drawing in 100 million people and counting. As new and surprisingly powerful as gen AI is, we can already see how companies will incorporate gen AI capabilities into their businesses’ strategies and operations. Our experience with two earlier, explosive technologies show you how.

The BYO explosion of the late 2000s taught us how to incorporate employee-led disruption. We learned that when employees brought personal technology to solve customer and business problems. We empowered, guided, and protected employees and the firm while taking advantage of the new value that personal technologies in business brought.
The mobile, social, original internet explosions taught us how to respond to and take advantage of customer-led disruption. We built mobile apps to help customers in their mobile moments of need; we adopted social media communications to improve engagement and collaboration; and we tooled up to take full advantage of the business models shaped by the internet.
Technology executives should prepare for generative AI to follow both paths and sprint into your business through four doors:

Bottom-up. Some of the 100 million people already using generative AI work for you. As you learned in the BYOD era, employees will adopt any tool that makes them more successful. The hyperadoption of gen AI leads to rampant BYOAI adoption. You can’t stop them, not fully. Your job is to put up guardrails that protect the firm’s IP and teach the skills of responsible AI. You need guardrails because your company IP is at risk. Just like with the original onslaught of BYO, you need to tune in now and empower, guide, and protect employees and the firm. Sharpen your listening tools and network sniffers. Revisit and promote your responsible AI policies ASAP. Your response to BYOAI will shape your top-down approach to gen AI, because employees will have elevated their robotics quotient and will be ready to go.
Top-down. Gen AI will unlock the value of 10-plus years of investments in data, insights, and artificial intelligence, including machine-learning models. This is where your investments in trusted AI will pay off, because you’re ready to use them. Already, the hyperscalers and software-as-a-service platform providers have announced and will trickle release gen AI-infused applications. Already, service providers and you are using TuringBots to generate and test code. Already, you’re incorporating marketing content generated from text prompts to hyperpersonalize engagement. And soon, you’ll overhaul your usability with text-based interfaces to business and analytics applications. Every part of your business will have ideas on how to use generative AI, mostly to optimize, automate, or augment something. Some will be great. Pick the ones that are easiest, safest, and most practical to deploy first.
Outside-in. Customers’ expectations for what gen AI can do for them are rising faster than anybody can keep up with. Every day, there is a new application using gen AI to do something useful. The latest I saw was a “free” cover-letter generator using GPT-4. (“Free” means that they’re accumulating your job preferences to resell as insights.) Microsoft triggered the search wars with OpenAI in Bing, and Google is now full-on engaged with Bard. Already, in the US, 35% of Gen Zers and 25% of Millennials have used bots to help buy hard-to-find inventory. That bot habit will be supercharged with gen AI, raising expectations even higher.....

[Riaz Haq]

Lahore’s Tech Renaissance: From Astrolabes To AI
Amir Husain

https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-ren...

Amir Husain is the Founder & CEO of the global AI company, SparkCognition, and the CEO of SkyGrid.

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)

Our first public event was at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), a prestigious institution renowned for its research and entrepreneurial spirit. Prof. Porter and I had the opportunity to deliver talks on entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence (AI) to an enthusiastic audience of students and faculty members.

Prof. Porter's talk focused on the three generations of AI, tracing its development from search algorithms to expert systems and the Generative AI explosion. The lecture provided insights into AI's potential to transform industries and our daily lives.

IoT, EVs, and Quantum, Oh My!

We encountered three standout teams pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. The first was the quantum computing group at LUMS which has developed and indigenously built an experimental quantum information processor. I was told by Dean Anwar of the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) that this device has two entangled physical qubits based on single photons from a heralded source. This effort lands LUMS on a short list of global quantum computing research organizations. Applications of quantum computing may eventually revolutionize materials science and much more. It was quite impressive to see a cutting-edge effort like this underway at the school.

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Aitchison College

Our next stop was my old alma mater, Aitchison College, a prestigious K-12 school founded in 1885. Boasting one of the world's most beautiful campuses on a sprawling 200 acres of land, the school has evolved from an elite institution to offering full-ride scholarships for applicants from diverse backgrounds.


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Entrepreneurs in Lahore

During our trip, we interacted with numerous entrepreneurs who have contributed significantly to Lahore's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Among them was the legendary Syed Babar Ali, founder of LUMS and Chairman of Packages Ltd. Babar Ali is one of the most admired Pakistanis globally. In his long list of laurels is his dedication to environmental conservation and a term as the President of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), which he took over from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1996. His contributions to industry and education are immeasurable. At the young age of 97, he continues to work from his office daily, maintaining a hectic and full schedule. His unwavering dedication and passion are truly inspiring.

[Riaz Haq]

Bloomberg

Tech industry standout Nvidia gave another stunningly strong quarterly revenue forecast, fueled by surging demand for its AI processors in data centers. Faced with a surge in demand for chatbots and other tools, data center operators are stocking up on the company’s processors, which are adept at handling the heavy workloads required by artificial intelligence. That’s helped Nvidia quickly pull out of an industrywide chip slump and accelerate sales growth to its fastest rate in years.

Broader markets cheered the company’s good fortune. Stocks climbed the most since June while bond yields fell. A $200 billion exchange-traded fund tracking the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) gained after Nvidia’s bullish revenue outlook. Its shares jumped about 9% in extended trading. The highly anticipated results are expected to impact investment decisions over the next few months. Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist at LPL Financial, says “there’s been an ongoing debate on whether Nvidia is even more important to the broad trajectory of markets than Fed Chair Powell’s comments from Jackson Hole on Friday.” —David E. Rovella

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence For Transformative Public Policy And Administration – OpEd

https://www.eurasiareview.com/13082023-pakistan-harnessing-artifici...

August 13, 2023 0 Comments
By Mir Hassan

Predicting the future is not magic, it is Artificial Intelligence. In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into various sectors has garnered significant attention.

Pakistan, like many other countries, has recognized the potential of AI to revolutionize public policy and administration. This article delves into the role of AI in shaping and enhancing public policy and administration in Pakistan, examining its benefits, challenges, and the path forward.

Benefits of AI in Public Policy and Administration:

Data-Driven Decision Making; AI facilitates data analysis on a scale impossible for humans alone. This enables evidence-based decision-making, leading to more efficient allocation of resources and targeted policy interventions. Predictive Analysis; AI algorithms can analyze historical data to predict future trends and challenges. In the context of Pakistan, this could aid in predicting disease outbreaks, managing disaster response, and optimizing infrastructure development.

Citizen Engagement; AI-powered chat bots and virtual assistants can streamline citizen engagement by providing real-time responses to queries and concerns. This fosters transparency, responsiveness, and accountability within the government.

Efficient Service Delivery; through automation and optimization, AI can streamline administrative processes, reducing bureaucracy and enhancing service delivery. This is particularly relevant for services like tax collection, licensing, and social welfare programs. Fraud Detection and Prevention; AI algorithms can identify patterns of fraudulent activities, helping to curb corruption and ensure efficient use of public funds.

Challenges and Considerations:
Data Quality and Privacy; AI relies heavily on data, and ensuring the quality, accuracy, and privacy of data is paramount. Pakistan must establish robust data protection regulations to safeguard citizen information.

Skill Gap; the successful implementation of AI requires a skilled workforce adept in AI technologies. Pakistan needs to invest in education and training to bridge the skill gap in this field.

Ethical Concerns; as AI systems make autonomous decisions, ethical considerations arise. Policymakers must grapple with questions of accountability, bias, and the potential for AI systems to amplify existing societal inequalities.

Infrastructure; Adequate technological infrastructure is essential for AI implementation. Ensuring reliable internet connectivity and access to advanced computing resources is crucial.

Policy Framework; Developing a comprehensive policy framework that outlines the ethical, legal, and operational aspects of AI adoption is imperative. Clear guidelines are needed to address issues such as liability, accountability, and regulatory oversight.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence For Transformative Public Policy And Administration – OpEd

https://www.eurasiareview.com/13082023-pakistan-harnessing-artifici...

August 13, 2023 0 Comments
By Mir Hassan

The Way Forward:
To fully harness AI’s potential; Pakistan must adopt a multi-faceted approach:

Education and Research; Invest in AI education, research, and training to cultivate a skilled workforce capable of developing and implementing AI technologies. Public-Private Collaboration; Foster collaboration between the government, academia, and private sector to share expertise, resources, and best practices for AI integration. Regulatory Framework; Develop a regulatory framework that strikes a balance between encouraging innovation and addressing ethical, privacy, and security concerns. Pilot Projects; Initiate pilot AI projects in key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education. These projects can serve as test beds for refining AI applications and identifying challenges. Awareness and Adoption; Raise awareness about AI’s potential among policymakers and the public, emphasizing its benefits and addressing misconceptions.

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionize public policy and administration in Pakistan, enhancing decision-making, service delivery, and citizen engagement. However, its successful integration requires careful consideration of challenges and a collaborative, forward-thinking approach. By embracing AI and fostering an ecosystem of innovation, Pakistan can pave the way for a more efficient, responsive and inclusive governance system.

[Riaz Haq]

AI policy to be presented before cabinet next month - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

https://www.dawn.com/news/1848297


Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said the final draft of the Artificial Intelligence policy would be presented to the federal cabinet for approval in August.

Addressing a meeting of the Special Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, he directed the quarters concerned to complete the consultation process with all stakeholders as soon as possible.

He highlighted the importance of AI in the modern era. “Artificial Intelligence is not the future but the present reality in the world,” he said, terming it an essential tool for advancement in multiple fields.

The minister recalled that it was the PML-N government that had established the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence in 2017 and the National Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in 2023.

“We have created National Centres for Excellence in Advanced Technologies under Vision 2025 and linked each centre to engineering labs in eight to ten universities.”

He said the world was developing rapidly in various aspects of Artificial Intelligence, and Pakistan has to catch its pace.

He pointed out that some countries were not granting visas to Pakistani students for education in modern technology, but “we will obtain modern technology at any cost”.

[Riaz Haq]

Meet Shabnam Xai, Pakistan's First Ultra-realistic AI Influencer - Dataconomy


https://dataconomy.com/2024/07/26/shabnam-xai-pakistan-ai-influencer/

Shabnam Xai is making waves as Pakistan’s first ultra-realistic AI influencer. She made her Instagram debut on July 16, 2024, and has quickly captured people’s attention with her incredibly lifelike appearance and engaging content.

Who is Shabnam Xai?
Shabnam Xai is an artificial intelligence creation designed to look and act like a real person. She combines advanced technology with a realistic appearance, making her stand out from other digital characters. Her creation involves sophisticated computer programs that generate her lifelike photos and interactions. So, what Shabnam Xai do as an AI influencer?



On Instagram, Xai shares stylish outfit photos against beautiful backgrounds, showcasing her fashion sense. She has thoughts on various cuisines too. She also posts fitness content, including workout routines and health tips, to motivate her followers.



Xai’s TikTok presence adds another layer, with short, dynamic videos that complement her Instagram posts, providing an engaging mix of fashion, food, and fitness

Beyond her digital life, Shabnam Xai is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). This academic pursuit highlights her interest in real-world issues and personal growth, setting her apart from typical digital influencers.

Rise of AI influencers
Shabnam Xai is just another example of what AI is changing in our lives. As she continues to grow and share content, she could inspire more AI-driven personalities in the future. Her role shows how technology and human-like interaction can come together in exciting new ways. And she is not the only one! Aitana López, Maia, and Lil Miquela are just some of the examples.



There are even AI beauty competitions, and Aitana Lopez, another AI influencer, has already joined them as a jury!

How to create your own AI influencer
influencers are virtual personalities generated by artificial intelligence, designed to interact with people on social media in a human-like manner. They can create content, engage with followers, and build a brand just like human influencers. Developing an AI influencer involves several steps:

Design: The virtual character’s appearance and personality are crafted using graphic design and AI technologies.
Training: AI models are trained to generate content, respond to interactions, and mimic human behavior.
Deployment: The AI influencer is integrated into social media platforms where it begins engaging with audiences.
For more detailed steps to create an AI influencer, visit our AI influencer guide.

AI influencers are used for marketing, brand promotions, and engaging with online communities. They can offer consistent and controllable brand messaging and have the potential to reach and influence large audiences. That’s why advanced machine learning algorithms and natural language processing techniques are employed to make the AI influencer’s interactions as realistic as possible.

[Riaz Haq]

Good news for Pakistani students as Google offers 45,000 AI Scholarships

https://pakobserver.net/good-news-for-pakistani-students-as-google-...

ISLAMABAD – Search engine Google has been actively involved in supporting AI education in Pakistan, offering courses for students to learn about Artificial Intelligence, and now the tech giant comes with Google AI Essentials.

Google AI Essentials course for Pakistani students aimed at helping more individuals to learn latest AI skills.

The course will help beginners with no prior AI experience, offering much needed skills to enhance productivity and providing hands-on practice with various AI tools.

Google AI Course in Pakistan
At least 45,000 scholarships for Google Career Certificates are up for grabs. Google AI Essentials is available on Coursera in English and aims to teach people how to utilize AI tools to generate ideas and expedite daily tasks.

Students will help write effective prompts and use AI responsibly by recognizing potential biases. The Google Career Certificates (GCC) prepare learners for entry-level jobs in fields like Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, or Digital Marketing, providing new resources to help learners understand how professionals use AI in their fields and gain practical experience in applying AI to workplace scenarios.

In joint with Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), Google launched several programs to assist freelancers in the fifth most populated nation in enhancing their skills.

[Riaz Haq]

Coursera celebrates AI Appreciation Day


https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/coursera-cele...

Learners in emerging markets, including India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Brazil, make up more than half (52%) of GenAI enrollments on Coursera as the learning platform is bridging the opportunity gap by expanding AI-powered translations to include more than 4,600 courses and 55 Professional Certificates in up to 21 popular languages, including Arabic, Hindi, and Spanish.

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HEC Pakistan success story | Coursera


https://www.coursera.org/enterprise/resources/casestudy/hec

Paving the way for Pakistan’s digital knowledge economy

Through a successful and transformative partnership with Coursera, HEC has ushered in a wave of impactful education, breaking barriers and shaping the educational landscape in Pakistan.

Access to quality education:

200+ universities gained access to Coursera’s library of courses, including COMSATS University Islamabad and University of Central Punjab.

Over 267,000+ courses completed with students logging over 1.4 million learning hours.

More than 45,000 learners achieved deep-skills specialized certifications from internationally recognized institutions, the most popular specializations being Communication, Data Analysis, and Leadership and Management.

Enhanced teaching through curriculum integration:

Faculty enhanced their curriculum by integrating Coursera content into projects and materials.

Students applied their newfound expertise, translating it into freelancing opportunities.

Profound learner satisfaction:

HEC conducted a learner survey which garnered 10,000 responses:

96% of respondents credited Coursera for enriching skills development, with steep trajectories in digital literacy.

99% expressed a desire to continue expanding their learning.

Over 60% received tangible career incentives, such as recognition or advancements, through Coursera courses.

“We’ve encountered our top Coursera learners leveraging their skills for success,” Tanveer continues. HEC’s survey encapsulates this notion, with 47% of freelancers saying Coursera courses helped to increase their earnings. “These individuals, based in Pakistan, capitalize on learned skills, securing freelancing opportunities and projects, earning in US dollars due to their global online presence.” Maqadas Manzoor, a learner who benefitted from HEC’s support, attests to Coursera’s positive influence on his freelance career. “Enrolling in Coursera has been a transformative experience for me. I enrolled in IBM’s full stack cloud computing course and got my certificate, which gained me valuable knowledge. I have since acquired projects from a cloud computing and web application services company.” This partnership between HEC and Coursera helped introduce flexible, specialized online education tailored to Pakistan’s needs, bringing world-class learning within reach across demographics. As Dr. Jamil, Member IT at HEC, attests, “Our initiative with Coursera ensures that Pakistani youth gain industry-ready skills affordably and at scale. The positive response from students indicates that we are on track to achieve HEC’s goals.” HEC credits Coursera for enabling it to deliver meaningful change on a national scale – one learner at a time.