WNAM REPORT: The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad, organised a webinar on ‘Applied AI for the Future Economy.’ Dr Usman W. Chohan, Advisor on Economic Affairs and National Development at CASS, serving as moderator, set the context for the discussion on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the economy. He highlighted that while it was widely acknowledged that AI plays a significant role across nearly all economic subsectors, the granular contributions and operational methodologies of strong AI companies, particularly startups, had remained less understood and appreciated. In his brief opening remarks, he pointed to both the conceptual and practical elements of AI applications, pointing to their impact and emerging nature of the field.
Guest Speaker Mr Phillip Kingston, CTO of AppliedAI, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the current state and future prospects of AI in the global market. Mr Kingston noted that while certain AI applications in consumer markets were demonstrating early promise and stability, their widespread institutional adoption was being hindered by the absence of a trusted AI delivery system. He reasoned that AI remained in its early stages, requiring human supervision to ensure accuracy and precision. This oversight, he explained, was critical to facilitating rapid adoption within businesses and across the enterprise.
Addressing concerns over AI’s influence on employment, Mr Kingston argued that current capabilities were often overestimated amid considerable hype. In the short to midterm, AI was unlikely to replace as many workers as speculated; instead, those who could work efficiently alongside AI were expected to outperform their less adaptable counterparts. However, he cautioned that the long-term impacts of AI might be largely underestimated.
The guest speaker also highlighted the potential threat posed by automation and AI to the South Asian region’s thriving Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. He warned that the erosion of cost advantages due to automation could significantly impact the export of knowledge work. He also outlined the diverse regulatory responses to AI around the world wherein some countries had imposed outright bans on certain AI systems, others had introduced licensing requirements, while some regulated AI as a potential risk to national security. Finally, Mr Kingston observed that established AI players were lobbying for regulations that would favour incumbents and create barriers for new entrants and innovators, both foreign and domestic. Mr Kingston’s expert presentation was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session.
The webinar concluded with remarks by President of CASS, Islamabad, Air Marshal Javaid Ahmed (Retd.), who stressed that international consensus was essential for the development of AI. He noted that the disruption caused by DeepSeek had become a reality, and that the recent Paris Summit had failed to achieve consensus following the refusal of two major states to sign the proposed agreement. He also expressed concerns about emerging risks, particularly regarding Generation Beta’s potential use of AI for research.
The discussion provided valuable insights into the complex interplay of AI innovation, regulation, and market dynamics, while also underscoring the emerging labour and research challenges about which emerging economies like Pakistan must remain cognizant.
