On International Youth Day 2026, American-Pakistani businessman and analyst Tanweer Ahmed called for greater investment in young people and highlighted ACT AI and MicroCerts as key initiatives for preparing Pakistan’s youth for an artificial intelligence-driven global economy. Addressing a Youth and AI Summit at the United Nations, Ahmed said artificial intelligence was transforming education, employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare, public services and almost every aspect of modern economies. He stressed that young people should not be treated merely as beneficiaries of development but as innovators, decision-makers, entrepreneurs and leaders capable of shaping the future. “Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not,” Ahmed said, emphasising the need to close the gap between young people who have access to advanced technology and those who remain excluded from the digital economy. ACT AI initiative Ahmed placed particular emphasis on ACT AI — Awareness, Competency and Tools Training for Artificial Intelligence — describing it as an important effort to expand practical AI capabilities among Pakistani youth. He said the initiative, associated with the state-owned enterprise AXI, focuses on areas including generative AI, agentic AI systems, AI-powered productivity tools, automation and sector-specific applications. According to Ahmed, one of the initiative’s major strengths is accessibility. Young people from different academic backgrounds can develop AI-related capabilities without necessarily having prior programming or artificial intelligence experience. He said making AI education accessible and free of cost could help ensure that Pakistani students and young professionals are not left behind as the global economy rapidly adopts AI. Ahmed argued that young people should acquire the ability not only to use artificial intelligence but also to understand, question, develop and responsibly apply the technology. MicroCerts to strengthen youth credentials Ahmed also placed strong emphasis on MicroCerts, describing micro-certifications as an important complement to traditional university degrees. He said rapidly changing technology means education can no longer end when a student completes a conventional degree. Young people need flexible opportunities to continuously acquire and demonstrate new, market-relevant skills. According to Ahmed, MicroCerts can provide focused credentials that demonstrate specific competencies and potentially create pathways into employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship, higher education and lifelong learning. He highlighted the importance of making such credentials accessible to young people facing financial or geographical barriers. “The future should not belong only to those who can afford opportunity,” Ahmed said, stressing that skills and credentials should be available to talented young people regardless of where they live or their economic circumstances. From AI users to AI creators Ahmed called for a shift from preparing young people simply to consume AI tools toward enabling them to become AI creators, innovators and responsible leaders. He said technology must be combined with human judgment, ethics and responsibility, warning that artificial intelligence cannot replace compassion, character or the human responsibility to determine the kind of society people want to build. He also called for stronger international cooperation between governments, universities, businesses, technology companies and international organisations to expand AI education and establish credible skills and certification systems. Ahmed said Pakistan could contribute to this global effort through initiatives such as ACT AI and MicroCerts, which he described as mechanisms for developing practical AI capabilities and recognised skills among the country’s youth. He further stressed that the expansion of AI infrastructure must be accompanied by environmental responsibility because data centres, cloud computing and AI systems require significant energy and resources. Addressing young people around the world, Ahmed urged them to learn and question emerging technologies, use AI to solve real-world problems and build businesses and communities with a clear sense of purpose.
