Pakistan is finally talking seriously about artificial intelligence. Universities are adding AI programs, companies are experimenting with new tools, and the government is trying to position the country in the race of the global AI economy. But there is an uncomfortable question underneath all this excitement: What happens when the people we train become good enough to leave?

In a January 2026 article published in The News, “AI brain drain or AI breakthrough?” was discussed in this context. Their argument was simple but important: Pakistan has an opportunity to benefit from AI, but only if it can create an environment where its talent has reasons to build from within the country.

That is where Pakistan’s AI story becomes more complicated.

Pakistan Has Talent. The Problem Is What Comes Next.

Pakistan is not starting from zero.

The country already has a large technology workforce, a growing freelance economy, and an IT sector that is continuously expanding. The State Bank reported that Pakistan’s ICT services exports reached $3.8 billion in FY2025, while thousands of new IT companies entered the sector.

The government is also working to speed up the process. In August 2026, Google opened its office in Pakistan in the capital city, Islamabad. The government said Google’s opening was a move to connect developers, entrepreneurs, and young people with worldwide technology opportunities.

Around the same time, Pakistan and Google announced an agreement that would provide 150,000 Google Career Certificates, more access to AI tools for students, and plans for an AI Centre of Excellence. On paper, Google and Pakistan’s agreements are encouraging technological developments.

But training someone to use AI is only the first step. The harder question is what happens after the training. If a smart student studies machine learning in Pakistan, gets certificates, becomes skilled enough to work on advanced AI projects, and then finds out that the most exciting jobs, best research places, and highest pay are somewhere else, what exactly have we created?

A training pipeline can become a talent pipeline for somebody else’s technology industry.

The Brain Drain Did Not Begin With AI

Pakistan’s struggle to........

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