The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Islamabad AI to promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence, digital transformation and data analytics in policy research and institutional operations. The agreement was signed by Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, and Dr. Mustansar Ali Ghazanfar, Chief Executive Officer of Islamabad AI, during an online ceremony on October 14, 2026. The partnership aims to establish a framework for applying AI technologies to research, organisational development and sustainable development initiatives. It will also support the use of data-driven approaches to policy analysis and decision-making. The collaboration reflects growing interest among research institutions in using AI to process information, analyse complex issues and improve the development of evidence-based recommendations. Rather than focusing solely on the adoption of new technologies, the agreement places emphasis on integrating AI into existing institutional activities while maintaining responsible practices and human oversight.
Under the agreement, the organisations will explore ways to incorporate AI into institutional processes, workflows and programme management. The collaboration covers policy evidence collection, data analysis, interpretation, visualisation and presentation, with the aim of improving how research findings are processed and communicated. Other areas include using AI in research planning, project management, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and knowledge management. The organisations also intend to explore AI-enabled analytical tools, dashboards and decision-support systems that could help researchers and institutional teams work with complex datasets more effectively. These applications may support the identification of patterns, the organisation of information and the preparation of research outputs, while allowing experts to assess findings and determine their relevance to policy questions. The MoU provides a broad framework for identifying and piloting suitable applications rather than announcing a single new AI product or a fully operational system. The results will depend on how individual projects are designed, the quality of available data and the ability of researchers to verify AI-generated analysis before using it in formal recommendations.
Capacity building is another major component of the partnership. SDPI staff, researchers, partners and other stakeholders are expected to benefit from periodic learning and training activities designed to improve their understanding and practical use of AI tools. This focus is relevant to policy research, where professionals need to assess large volumes of information, compare evidence from different sources and communicate findings to decision-makers. Training can help users formulate better research questions, select appropriate tools and recognise the limitations of AI-generated outputs. Speaking about the role of AI in the work of a policy think tank, Dr. Suleri highlighted its potential to accelerate analysis, gather facts and figures, access resources and support the development of policy recommendations. He also emphasised that researchers should use AI to refine research questions and improve their analytical work instead of treating it merely as a system that responds to commands. Dr. Ghazanfar described Islamabad AI as a think tank with members in Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, working across responsible AI and governance, the economy and AI, skills and education, and financial technology and digital finance.
The partnership also highlights the importance of safeguards as AI becomes more widely used in research and institutional decision-making. The MoU includes guidance on responsible, ethical, secure and effective AI adoption, with human oversight and verification forming part of the intended approach. These safeguards are important because AI systems can produce inaccurate information, reflect weaknesses in underlying datasets or generate conclusions that require further examination. In policy research, such limitations can affect the quality of recommendations if findings are accepted without independent review. Human verification, appropriate data handling and clear accountability can help institutions use AI as an analytical aid while retaining responsibility for their conclusions. The agreement also creates scope for identifying new AI applications that could be tested within SDPI’s research and programme functions. For Pakistan’s research community, the collaboration represents an effort to connect emerging technologies with practical institutional needs. Its longer-term value will depend on the tools developed, the skills acquired by participating teams and the extent to which AI-assisted analysis contributes to reliable research and better-informed policy decisions.
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