Citizen-in-the-Loop Approach Essential for Sovereign AI, Says JazzWorld’s Aamir Ibrahim

Countries must ensure their citizens have a meaningful role in developing and shaping artificial intelligence (AI), rather than remaining consumers of technologies built elsewhere, remarked Aamir Ibrahim, CEO, JazzWorld, at CNN Global Perspectives in Doha, Qatar.

Key points

• Mohammed Soliman, Director of AI and Compute Infrastructure at McLarty Associates; Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Founder of Mal; Dr.
• Speaking during a session titled "The Sovereign Stack, " Ibrahim challenged the conventional understanding of AI sovereignty.
• While replicating every layer independently may not be practical for emerging economies such as Pakistan, building domestic computing capacity, technical expertise and AI development capabilities is essential.
• At the country level, we need a citizen-in-the-loop approach, Ibrahim remarked, emphasizing that residents must have a meaningful role in shaping the technology that influences their lives.
• At JazzWorld, this ambition is reflected in its efforts to build AI capabilities throughout its digital ecosystem.

Speaking during a session titled "The Sovereign Stack, " Ibrahim challenged the conventional understanding of AI sovereignty. It often centers on data residency, computing infrastructure and domestic AI models. While these capabilities are significant, he maintained that genuine sovereignty additionally requires citizens to participate in creating AI and influencing how it is deployed.

"In AI, we talk regarding the human-in-the-loop approach. At the country level, we need a citizen-in-the-loop approach, " Ibrahim remarked, emphasizing that residents must have a meaningful role in shaping the technology that influences their lives.

Drawing on the five-layer AI framework popularized by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Ibrahim observed that countries face different constraints in developing energy resources, chips, computing infrastructure, models and applications. While replicating every layer independently may not be practical for emerging economies such as Pakistan, building domestic computing capacity, technical expertise and AI development capabilities is essential. International partnerships can support bridge gaps, but countries must additionally develop the ability to create their own models, applications and intellectual property.

He cautioned that adopting global technology must not mean outsourcing the thinking that shapes a country's future. Pakistan must move beyond AI consumption towards contributing to its development, creating systems that reflect local languages, cultural contexts and economic needs while enabling Pakistani researchers, developers and businesses to participate in the global AI economy.

At JazzWorld, this ambition is reflected in its efforts to build AI capabilities throughout its digital ecosystem. JazzWorld is additionally engaging with administration and academia to strengthen locally relevant AI capabilities, recognizing that building a domestic AI ecosystem requires collaboration throughout industry, research and public institutions.

Ibrahim additionally identified trust as a fundamental requirement for meaningful AI sovereignty. While data residency and security remain significant, keeping information within national borders does not automatically guarantee that AI will serve a country's interests. Trust additionally depends on how data is employed, whose perspectives shape AI systems and whether their outputs are reliable.

"Technology gives you capability. Transparency lends credibility to that capability. But trust is ultimately what determines whether you have earned the right to remain at the table, " he remarked, underscoring the importance of responsible AI development and deployment.

Ibrahim further linked AI sovereignty to the growing intelligence divide between those able to employ AI to learn, work and create and those excluded from these opportunities. Without broader access to AI tools, skills and infrastructure, emerging economies risk limiting the pool of talent and innovation needed to develop their own AI capabilities. Enabling more citizens to become creators, developers and entrepreneurs, rather than users alone, will be critical to building a competitive domestic AI ecosystem.

Meanwhile, the session, moderated by CNN Anchor and Correspondent Eleni Giokos, brought together international leaders from the technology, infrastructure and innovation sectors, including Rajit Nanda, CEO of DataVolt; Dr. Mohammed Soliman, Director of AI and Compute Infrastructure at McLarty Associates; Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Founder of Mal; Dr. Chaouki Kasmi of EDGE Group and TACTICA AI; Rama Chakaki, President of Qatar Science & Technology Park; and H.E. Abdulla AlMisnad, Chairman and Managing Director of QAI. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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