Zahanat AI, Pakistan‘s first regionally developed artificial intelligence. Created by tech company Data Vault under the leadership of Mehwish Salman Ali, Zahanat AI is a major milestone aimed at offering homegrown AI solutions designed specifically for Pakistani users.
In contrast to international AI platforms, Zahanat AI is entirely developed and operated within Pakistan, offering distinct advantages in terms of safeguarding data and aligning with local cultural contexts. It has been built to support English, Urdu, and other regional languages, making it accessible to a wider section of the population.
The development journey took around six to eight months and involved the setup of 12–15 GPUs. Built on Meta’s LLaMA architecture with 1.5 billion parameters, the model is cost-effective yet powerful, demonstrating that advanced AI innovation can happen within Pakistan’s existing infrastructure.
Currently in its beta phase, Zahanat AI is operating through an invite-only system. However, there are ambitious plans to roll out new features soon, including voice input capabilities and support for additional local dialects.
This launch ties into Pakistan’s broader vision of advancing AI through its upcoming national policy, which emphasizes education, public-private partnerships, and innovation.
The arrival of Zahanat AI not only enhances Pakistan’s position in the AI world but also proves that emerging economies can create impactful, culturally adapted technology solutions for their people—and beyond.
