Pakistan, April 20 -- In a country grappling with debt, dysfunction and political disarray, the idea of investing time and attention in artificial intelligence (AI) education for parliamentarians might seem out of place. But that would be a profound misreading of where the world is headed - and how far behind we already are.

Globally, AI is not merely a buzzword for tech conferences or startups. It is a core force shaping policy, politics, defence, trade, education, agriculture, and public health. It is influencing how laws are written, how benefits are distributed, and how citizens are surveilled. And it is doing so in ways that lawmakers, especially in developing democracies like ours, scarcely understand. This knowledge gap is no long...