A delegation from Roots Ivy International met with Ali Dar, Advisor to the Punjab Chief Minister, to discuss artificial intelligence, education and how to prepare students with the skills they will need in an increasingly technology-driven future. The meeting was shared by The Office of AI, which leads Punjab’s work on AI adoption in government and which has been holding a series of engagements with outside institutions as the province carries out its AI Vision 2029. The topics reflect a growing view that AI skills need to be built early, through schools and teachers, and not only through universities or workplaces.
The discussion explored opportunities around AI literacy and responsible technology use, two areas that matter as AI tools become part of everyday study and work. AI literacy means helping students understand what AI systems can and cannot do, while responsible use covers questions such as accuracy, privacy and honest use of AI tools in schoolwork. The two sides also looked at building the capacity of both teachers and students, since teachers need to be comfortable with the tools before they can guide students in using them well. Training for teachers and students together can also help schools set common expectations about how AI should be used in the classroom.
The meeting also covered stronger engagement between education institutions and The Office of AI as Punjab advances AI Vision 2029. This points to a role for schools and education groups as partners in the province’s wider AI plans, alongside government departments. The Office of AI did not share details of any agreement, programme or timeline arising from the meeting, nor did it describe the activities of the Roots Ivy delegation beyond the topics discussed, so any follow up is likely to be announced separately. Closer links between schools and the office could give education institutions a clearer channel for sharing their needs and experience with those planning the province’s AI programmes.
The meeting adds to a series of recent activities involving the Office of AI. It has held a knowledge exchange session with experts from the United Kingdom on strengthening delivery of government priorities, completed an AI learning session with Huawei Pakistan for its own team, and met a senior partner from Ernst and Young MENA on responsible AI adoption in government. Punjab has also announced plans to train 160,000 teachers under its AI Curriculum and Training Initiative and to introduce AI education in schools, which makes conversations with education institutions about AI literacy and teacher capacity a natural part of the province’s agenda.
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