More than 300 developers, students, and technology professionals convened in Islamabad over the weekend for Google I/O Extended Islamabad 2025, a two-day event spotlighting the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing impact on Pakistan’s digital economy and beyond.
Held across two prominent venues, Pearl Continental Hotel Rawalpindi and Innovista DHA Phase 1 Islamabad, the event embraced the theme “Unlocking Potential with AI”, emphasizing both inspiration and practical application in the evolving tech landscape.
Day 1 at the Pearl Continental focused on high-level discourse, featuring keynotes, fireside chats, and panel discussions exploring how AI is reshaping industries, workplaces, and everyday life. Attendees engaged in networking and conversations around emerging intelligent technologies, setting a collaborative tone for the weekend.
On Day 2 at Innovista, the event shifted to hands-on learning. Attendees participated in technical workshops led by industry experts: Ali Raza, Senior Principal Technologist at BoostPandaAI, conducted a deep dive into building AI agents. Abdul Rauf, Associate Director & AI Lead at S&P Global, presented strategies on structuring agent memory using MCP (Memory-Centric Programming), offering frameworks to develop real-world AI applications.
The conference featured a robust lineup of thought leaders from across technology, fintech, hospitality, and creative sectors, reinforcing AI’s cross-industry relevance in Asia and the Middle East.
Mohammad Ali Ibrahim of Pearl Continental described AI as “the opportunity of our generation,” emphasizing its integration of “code, data, and human values.” He highlighted practical AI use cases in hospitality, such as personalized guest services and multilingual support.
From fintech, Farhan Hassan, Chief Digital Officer at Easypaisa, discussed AI’s role in inclusive digital banking. He underlined how localized AI solutions are enabling greater financial access in Pakistan’s underserved communities.
Saad Hamid, Regional Lead for the Developer Ecosystem at Google, introduced powerful tools like Gemini 2.5 Flash, the Agent Development Kit, and Firebase Studio, enabling faster development of production-ready AI agents.
Reflecting on the broader implications of AI, Muhammad Umar Nazir, Co-Manager of GDG Islamabad, said “Applying AI in our businesses and lives is no longer a luxury — it’s an absolute necessity. Those who embrace it thoughtfully and responsibly today will define the success stories of tomorrow.”
Cross-Sector innovations take center stage
Speakers also demonstrated AI’s impact on diverse sectors:
- Rumsha Fatima (Repstack Co) highlighted how AI capabilities in Google Workspace and AppSheet are automating workflows and enhancing collaboration.
- Danial Nasir (Portsea Games) illustrated AI’s use in gaming — from dynamic non-player characters (NPCs) to real-time level design via text prompts.
- Abdul Fahad (Mobiz) addressed why many AI initiatives fail, offering solutions via Google Cloud Platform and multi-agent architecture to boost resilience.
- Robina Mirbahar (Infinity) showcased tools like Google AI Studio, Imagen, and Veo, which accelerate high-quality content creation for global brands including Puma.
- Tauheed Ali (Marvel X) discussed Jetpack Compose as the standard for modern Android development with fluid UI design.
- Hadi Khan, Co-Founder and CTO at Parhlai, introduced an AI-powered test preparation app delivering cost-effective, personalized learning, tackling Pakistan’s education accessibility challenge.
The event was backed by notable partners including Pearl Continental & Hashoo Group, Easypaisa, Innovista, Suno TV, Techjuice, and Cheezious, whose support emphasized the power of public-private collaboration in scaling tech ecosystems.
More than just a showcase, Google I/O Extended Islamabad 2025 served as a regional catalyst, inspiring developers and businesses in Asia and the Middle East to explore AI as a strategic imperative. As Pakistan continues to invest in digital innovation, events like this highlight how AI can be leveraged for inclusive growth, entrepreneurial opportunity, and scalable development.