Scaling Artificial Intelligence in Lahore-Based Public Sector Organizations: A Qualitative Documentary Analysis of AI Governance, Human-AI Collaboration, and Workforce Readiness

Abstract

This study examines the scaling of AI in public sector organizations in Lahore by qualitatively analyzing AI governance, human-AI collaboration, and workforce readiness through a documentary analysis. The study is based on official secondary data associated with the public safety and policing system of Punjab such as public documents of Pakistan's National Artificial Intelligence Policy, Punjab Safe Cities Authority, Punjab Information Technology Board and digital systems associated with the policing system of Punjab. This study is needed because despite the fact that AI is increasingly being touted as an integral component of public-sector modernization, it is not always understood that the governance and workforce systems that enable AI adoption are not clearly described in public documents. PITB showcases Punjab Safe City, which is an AI-based facial recognition and vehicle number plate recognition initiative to assist law enforcement. PSCA outlines AI enabled surveillance, smart traffic management, real-time emergency response, and various AI initiatives such as predictive policing, characteristic object recognition, AI enhanced number plates and AI detection models. It features an AI based e-challan system that employs computer vision and custom CNN architectures to identify traffic violations and aid electronic ticketing. Thematic analysis is employed to analyze the interpretation of the documents on AI scaling, governance, human oversight, and staff readiness. The expected contribution is to demonstrate that official documents strongly position AI as a means of efficiency, surveillance, enforcement, and improvement of service. But there is still a need to pay more attention to transparency, accountability, protection of citizens' privacy, appeal facilities and training of staff. The study concludes that for the scaling of AI responsibly in the public sector in Lahore, it is not only essential to have advanced systems but also to have visibility of governance, trained human users, and clear communication with the public.