APT Symposium: AI rapid adoption risks creating new inequalities

The Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Symposium on Digital Transformation and the Universal Service Fund addressed critical issues surrounding Pakistan's digital divide and the potential for AI to exacerbate inequalities. Mudassir Hussain, Head of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs at JazzWorld, emphasized during a panel on financing and regulation that merely expanding mobile network coverage is insufficient to bridge the digital gap in Pakistan.

He stressed the importance of affordable smartphones, accessible financing, and meaningful digital services, particularly for underserved communities and marginalized groups. Hussain pointed out the critical challenge of smartphone financing, where conventional lending models often exclude those without documented incomes or formal credit histories.

He advocated for regulatory frameworks that support instalment-based device financing, backed by risk-sharing, insurance, and targeted subsidies to make smartphones more accessible. Additionally, Hussain highlighted the need to broaden the role of the Universal Service Fund (USF) to include support for affordable connectivity, digital skills training, and meaningful internet adoption, especially in areas that are commercially underserved.

In a separate discussion on bridging the gender digital divide, Fatima Akhtar warned that the rapid adoption of AI could create new inequalities, particularly for women and marginalized communities, if they cannot access or benefit from the technology. The panel discussed various barriers to women's digital participation, including smartphone ownership, digital literacy, online safety, and access to economic opportunities.

Brief written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.