A detailed 3.5 hours workshop on Artificial Intelligence: Conceptual Understanding, Potential and Application was conducted at NIPA Lahore for participants of 45^th MCMC by Dr. M. Naveed Iftikhar on December 22, 2025. The workshop provided a comprehensive conceptual foundation of Al and its transformative implications for governance, economy, and society.

The speaker traced Al’s evolution from rule-based systems to machine learning, deep learning. generative Al, and agentic Al, emphasizing data as the core driver of intelligence. Practical examples from smart cities, policing, transportation, citizen services, and global governance models were discussed. The lecture also highlighted international investments in Al infrastructure and Pakistan’s National Al Policy 2025, alongside barriers such as data fragmentation, energy constraints, and digital divides.

Ethical considerations, bias, data sovereignty, and the concept of sovereign Al were discussed in depth. Through hands-on exercises involving prompt engineering, Retrieval Augmented Generation, and Al agents, participants gained practical exposure to Al tools, reinforcing the need for responsible and policy-aligned Al adoption in the public sector.

The session concluded with a standing ovation to the esteemed speaker by the faculty and participants.