'Google move must shift focus to jobs'

According to The Express Tribune, Google's plan to open its first Pakistani office, alongside wider work on AI, training and local hardware, could help the country grow its digital economy. The company's newest pledges include a year of free Gemini access for students, more skills programmes and backing for homegrown tech development. The real test, the paper argues, is whether these programmes can translate into durable careers, businesses and technical capabilities.

Ahmed Aziz, executive director of UAE-based Aaronvio, sees the move widening Pakistan's technology talent pool, particularly through greater AI exposure for students and developers. The paper also notes Pakistan has a large pool of IT specialists and freelancers working for overseas clients, and structured AI training could add a further tier of skills. Former SAARC Chamber president Iftikhar Ali Malik welcomed the free Gemini access and urged universities, industry and technology firms to work together on AI access.

Aziz said Google's engagement reached beyond training and certificates, pointing to local Chromebook assembly as a contributor to a wider technology ecosystem. He also hoped cloud infrastructure could follow, easing concerns over data privacy and residency. He stressed, however, that the Islamabad office is no pledge to build a large cloud region or hyperscale data centre, since such projects would need separate business and infrastructure decisions.