Duraid Qureshi, Chief Executive Officer of Hum Network Limited, recently met Ali Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab, to discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence, gaming, animation and media in Pakistan. The meeting took place at The Office of AI, the Punjab government body that Ali Dar leads. The two sides looked at where artificial intelligence and the creative industries meet, a space that includes game studios, animation houses, media companies and the startups that build tools for them.
Hum Network leads the Center of Excellence in Gaming and Animation in Pakistan, known as CEGA, which operates at the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park. The discussion covered the work being advanced through the center, with a focus on developing talent and supporting startups. CEGA runs an incubation program for companies in gaming and animation, and young studios in the program receive mentorship, facilities and industry connections. A meeting between its lead organization and the Punjab government’s artificial intelligence office points to growing attention to the creative technology sector as part of the province’s wider technology plans.
The conversation also looked at creating stronger pathways for collaboration between The Office of AI and the wider creative technology ecosystem. The talks took place as Punjab advances its AI Vision 2029, the provincial plan that aims to make Punjab the most artificial intelligence enabled province in South Asia by 2029 under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Gaming and animation are among the fields where artificial intelligence tools are changing how content is made, from character design to game testing, and the discussion explored how the government’s office and the creative industry can work together on that change.
No specific agreements or programs were announced after the meeting. Even so, the talks reflect an effort to link public sector plans for artificial intelligence with the studios, talent and startups that are already working in creative technology. For founders and young professionals in gaming and animation in Pakistan, closer ties between CEGA and The Office of AI could lead to new opportunities for training, funding and projects, and the two sides are expected to continue their discussions as the provincial plan moves forward.
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