DIF opposes Pakistan’s membership bid in AIANET

The Digital India Foundation (DIF), a founding member of the AI Alliance Network (AIANET), has strongly opposed the membership bid of Pakistan’s AI Technology Centre (AITeC), citing serious national security and ethical concerns. In its statement, DIF said Pakistan’s history of supporting terrorism, its presence on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, and the lack of oversight in its AI ecosystem pose a direct threat to AIANET's values and credibility.

Dr. Arvind Gupta, Co-Founder of DIF, warned that AITeC could misuse AIANET membership to access sensitive research and potentially weaponise AI through its specialised labs. He pointed to the recent Pahalgam attack and ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan as reminders of the need for vigilance.

DIF highlighted AITeC’s dual-use capabilities in labs like Autonomous AI & Decision Support and Quantum Machine Learning, suggesting these could be used for offensive cyber operations, cross-border strikes, or even fundraising for extremist groups through automated financial systems.

The Foundation also criticized Pakistan’s AI governance, noting its military dominance in AI strategy, vague policy frameworks, and absence of data protection laws. This, DIF argued, contrasts sharply with AIANET members who follow democratic values and ethical AI practices.

DIF concluded by urging AIANET to reject AITeC’s application to protect the alliance’s mission of advancing safe, responsible, and peaceful AI.