India Opposes Pakistan’s Membership Bid to AI Alliance Network Citing AI Weaponisation Risks
India’s Digital India Foundation (DIF), a founding member of the AI Alliance Network (AIANET), has issued a strong objection to Pakistan’s application for membership in the global AI consortium. The foundation raised serious national security concerns and warned of potential threats to the alliance’s credibility, ethics, and technological integrity if Pakistan’s AI Technology Centre (AITeC) were admitted.
In its formal objection, DIF stated that Pakistan’s history of supporting terrorism, ongoing scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the risk of artificial intelligence being weaponised through AITeC’s specialised labs pose significant dangers to India and other AIANET members. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Co-Founder and Head of the foundation, said the application must be viewed as a strategic move to gain access to international research and development resources, with the intention of weaponising AI technology. He pointed to recent security incidents, including the Pahalgam terrorist attack and tensions along the Indo-Pak border, as evidence of the need for vigilance against Pakistan’s destabilising activities in the region.
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The foundation expressed particular concern over several of AITeC’s key facilities, including the Autonomous AI & Decision Support Lab, Computer Vision Lab, and the Software Optimization for Edge Computing Lab. According to DIF, these centres hold dual-use capabilities that can be redirected toward offensive cyber operations, cross-border targeting systems, and support for autonomous weapons. The 2025 U.S. Country Reports on Terrorism was also cited, noting Pakistan’s continued protection of groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed as a major red flag.
Further highlighting Pakistan’s FATF grey-listing, DIF raised alarms over the possible misuse of AI for illicit financial operations. It warned that AITeC’s Data Science Lab and Quantum Machine Learning & Cognitive Computing Lab could be leveraged to automate the flow of illicit funds or facilitate cryptocurrency-based fundraising for extremist entities.
The foundation contrasted this with AIANET’s commitment to democratic governance, strong data protection regimes, and ethical AI standards—principles it argued are absent in Pakistan’s current AI framework. It criticized Pakistan’s AI ecosystem for lacking institutional oversight, transparency, and enforceable legal structures. DIF also noted that Pakistan’s draft National AI Policy is vague and ineffective, while its AI development is largely driven by military-led entities such as CENTAIC (Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing), under the Pakistan Air Force, sidelining civilian research and innovation.
According to DIF, allowing AITeC into the AI Alliance Network would compromise the alliance’s mission of promoting AI for the public good, global peace, and responsible development. The foundation concluded its statement by urging AIANET members to reject Pakistan’s bid in order to protect international cooperation in AI and maintain the values of democratic accountability, ethical governance, and peaceful innovation.
Despite the concerns raised, AITeC has made notable progress within Pakistan’s AI landscape. It has established advanced research facilities, developed AI-powered surveillance and decision-support tools, and contributed to national projects in smart cities and digital governance. The centre has also partnered with universities and public sector institutions to promote AI education and has played a key role in laying the foundation for Pakistan’s emerging AI ecosystem.
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