In the Age of AI, I Believe Pakistan Is Teaching the Wrong Thing.
This may be my most controversial opinion.
I don’t think Pakistan needs more skill-training institutes.
I think Pakistan needs more trust-building institutes.
Think about it.
If I have a close friend in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, London, Dubai, or Berlin who trusts me, they don’t just give me advice.
They tell me which skills are worth learning.
They introduce me to the right people.
They review my work.
They mentor me.
They recommend me for jobs.
They become my first customer.
They become my business partner.
They open doors that no certificate ever could.
Today, AI can teach you almost any technical skill.
YouTube can teach you.
Online courses can teach you.
An overseas friend can tell you exactly what to learn and what to ignore.
But AI cannot build trust for you.
A certificate cannot create friendship.
A diploma cannot earn a recommendation.
Universities, colleges, schools, Saylani Welfare International Trust, Bano Qabil, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority, and many other organizations have worked tirelessly to teach skills to millions of Pakistanis.
My question is:
Who is teaching our youth how to build lifelong friendships with the other 97% of humanity who live outside Pakistan?
Every student should graduate with:
• Friends in 20 countries.
• A global LinkedIn network.
• Experience working on international projects.
• The confidence to communicate across cultures.
• Membership in communities like Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, entrepreneur groups, chambers of commerce, open-source communities, and international volunteer organizations where trust grows over years—not days.
We keep asking,
“What skill should I learn next?”
Maybe we should be asking,
“Who can I help? Who can I become friends with? Who will trust me enough to recommend me?”
Because opportunities don’t usually travel through the internet.
They travel through people.
In the AI era, I believe the most valuable skill is no longer coding, designing, or marketing.
The most valuable skill is becoming someone the world trusts.
That’s the education I hope Pakistan starts teaching.
In the Age of AI, I Believe Pakistan Is Teaching the Wrong Thing.
This may be my most controversial opinion.
I don’t think Pakistan needs more skill-training institutes.
I think Pakistan needs more trust-building institutes.
Think about it.
If I have a close friend in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, London, Dubai, or Berlin who trusts me, they don’t just give me advice.
They tell me which skills are worth learning.
They introduce me to the right people.
They review my work.
They mentor me.
They recommend me for jobs.
They become my first customer.
They become my business partner.
They open doors that no certificate ever could.
Today, AI can teach you almost any technical skill.
YouTube can teach you.
Online courses can teach you.
An overseas friend can tell you exactly what to learn and what to ignore.
But AI cannot build trust for you.
A certificate cannot create friendship.
A diploma cannot earn a recommendation.
Universities, colleges, schools, Saylani Welfare International Trust, Bano Qabil, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority, and many other organizations have worked tirelessly to teach skills to millions of Pakistanis.
My question is:
Who is teaching our youth how to build lifelong friendships with the other 97% of humanity who live outside Pakistan?
Every student should graduate with:
• Friends in 20 countries.
• A global LinkedIn network.
• Experience working on international projects.
• The confidence to communicate across cultures.
• Membership in communities like Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, entrepreneur groups, chambers of commerce, open-source communities, and international volunteer organizations where trust grows over years—not days.
We keep asking,
“What skill should I learn next?”
Maybe we should be asking,
“Who can I help? Who can I become friends with? Who will trust me enough to recommend me?”
Because opportunities don’t usually travel through the internet.
They travel through people.
In the AI era, I believe the most valuable skill is no longer coding, designing, or marketing.
The most valuable skill is becoming someone the world trusts.
That’s the education I hope Pakistan starts teaching.
