Punjab Assembly begins evaluation of AI use in public services

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly's Special Committee No. 13 commenced its parliamentary assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance on Thursday. Led by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, this committee is the first of its kind in Pakistan and the South Asian region, focusing specifically on AI and digital governance.

It gathered for the first time after a three-day workshop in Islamabad, conducted by UNDP Pakistan and the UK's international development organization, where committee members explored AI's capabilities, potential risks, and principles of responsible governance. The committee will scrutinize the application of AI in two key public service systems within Punjab: the Punjab Safe Cities Authority's AI-assisted e-challan system and the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER) welfare assistance program.

The investigation will delve into aspects such as the accuracy of AI-driven violation detection, human validation, citizens' access to evidence, mechanisms for appeal, and data security measures. Additionally, the committee will examine how eligibility decisions are made in PSER welfare assistance, assessing whether these are made through manual evaluation, fixed rules, statistical scoring, machine learning, or a combination thereof.

The committee also plans to investigate the constitutional and legal implications of digital technologies, covering issues like digital harms, deepfakes, threats to democratic trust, risks faced by women and vulnerable groups, data governance, and institutional capacity.