Pakistan proposes sovereign AI infrastructure for SCO as it assumes chairmanship

The initiative comes as the SCO, whose region Sharif said encompasses more than 3 billion people, grapples with rapid technological change alongside geopolitical tensions, energy disruptions and the need for greater regional connectivity.

“In IT and AI, we propose to establish an SCO sovereign AI infrastructure and governance framework to promote responsible and inclusive AI development and also ensure that no member state is left behind,” Sharif said.

Sharif said Pakistan would pursue its chairmanship under the theme “Turning Vision into Action, Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity,” while advocating stronger transport, energy and trade links across the region. “Today, connectivity is no longer a choice.

It is a strategic imperative,” he said.

“The recent [Middle East] crisis has also proven that diversified transport networks, secure energy corridors, and resilient supply chains are indispensable to our collective security.”Sharif said the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would continue to serve as a gateway linking regional economies to the Arabian Sea, while Islamabad would support trans-regional railway, road and energy projects.

He also called the establishment of an SCO Development Bank a “critical step” toward implementing the bloc’s development strategy through 2035.