AI-Powered Dreams: Compete for Glory in the 2025 AI Wrapper Challenge
Tanveer Ahmed :
The AI Wrapper Competition 2025, organized by the Ignite National Technology Fund under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), aims to discover and foster AI-driven solutions that address the socio-economic challenges in Pakistan.
This initiative is part of the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy and emphasizes the importance of cultivating a skilled workforce, supporting ethical and explainable AI practices, and promoting civic innovation across critical sectors like education, healthcare, governance, finance, and climate change.
As of now, the Ignite website reports that 1,712 teams have signed up for the competition, with male participants constituting 67% and female participants making up 33%. The majority of teams come from Punjab (636), followed by Sindh (514), Islamabad (287), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (144), Balochistan (118), with smaller representations from Gilgit-Baltistan (4), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (5), and four international teams. Regional rounds will take place in major cities: Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Karachi.
The grand finale is scheduled for November 11 at the National Incubation Center (NIC) in Islamabad, with an award ceremony to follow on November 13 in the capital. This competition aims to drive AI innovation across specific thematic areas, create a network of over 500 AI fellows, and identify at least 25 viable prototypes or solutions. It also seeks to inspire digital transformation in the public sector and pave pathways for young entrepreneurs.
Through the engagement of AI wrapper fellows and the encouragement of practical AI solutions, this initiative contributes to building national capacity and aligns Pakistan with international standards by utilizing cloud infrastructure, providing access to open datasets, and fostering cross-sector collaboration.
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