ISLAMABAD, Sep 09 (APP):Pakistan must prepare not only artificial intelligence (AI) experts but also workers across different sectors to use the technology, Chairperson of China Global Professional Certification (CGPTC) Gulmina Bilal Ahmed said on Wednesday. Speaking at a panel discussion during the Pakistan Women Leadership and Policy Summit 2026 at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Gulmina Bilal said the AI debate should not remain confined to software …
Pakistan needs AI-enabled workers, not just experts: Gulmina Bilal
ISLAMABAD, Sep 09 (APP):Pakistan must prepare not only artificial intelligence (AI) experts but also workers across different sectors to use the technology, Chairperson of China Global Professional Certification (CGPTC) Gulmina Bilal Ahmed said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the Pakistan Women Leadership and Policy Summit 2026 at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Gulmina Bilal said the AI debate should not remain confined to software engineers and technology companies.
“Why should AI training be limited only to programmers. Pakistan needs AI-enabled plumbers, electricians, technicians, farmers, teachers, nurses and entrepreneurs,” she said.
Gulmina who also served as Chairperson of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Pakistan, said the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 had warned that by 2030, 39 per cent of the skills required for existing jobs globally were expected to be transformed or become outdated, underscoring the need for reskilling and new skills.
The biggest employment risk for Pakistan, she said, was not simply that AI would replace workers. “The real competition could be between workers who know how to use AI and those who do not,” she added.
Gulmina Bilal said Pakistan’s young population represented a major potential advantage in the global economy, but demographics alone could not guarantee economic gains.
The discussion was attended by Senator Sana Jamali, Kashmala Tariq, Dr Sonia Saleem , and was moderated by Prof Dr Joharia Azhar.
