4 min read
This past weekend, over 300 developers, students, and technology professionals gathered for Google I/O Extended Islamabad 2025, a two-day celebration of innovation, AI, and community spirit. Hosted at two iconic venues, the Pearl Continental Hotel in Rawalpindi and Innovista DHA Phase 1 in Islamabad, the event showcased how artificial intelligence is transforming industries, creating opportunities, and redefining what is possible for Pakistan’s digital economy.
With the theme “Unlocking Potential with AI”, the event offered a rich blend of inspiration, hands-on learning, and meaningful conversations. Day 1 kicked off at Pearl Continental, with Ali Naqi Rizvi, Sarwat Rizvi, and Ahmed Khan, Co-Managers of Google Developer Groups Islamabad, sharing the inspiration behind the event’s theme of discovering the potential of AI and emphasizing the importance of using AI responsibly.
The agenda ahead featured keynotes, fireside chats, and dynamic discussions on how AI is reshaping our lives, work, and industries. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as attendees networked, exchanged ideas, and experienced the latest developments in the world of intelligent technologies.
Day 2, held at Innovista, shifted the focus from inspiration to implementation. The participants geared-up for two in-depth workshops: Ali Raza, Senior Principal Technologist at Code for Pakistan, led a session on building AI agents, while Abdul Rauf, Associate Director & AI Lead at S&P Global, delivered a workshop on structuring agent memory with MCP, giving attendees actionable frameworks and tools to bring their own AI ideas to life.
Throughout the event, some of Pakistan’s influential voices in technology, business, and creativity shared their insights from the stage. Mohammad Ali Ibrahim, Vice President Marketing Communication & Digital Transformation at Hashoo Group, set the tone by framing AI as “the opportunity of our generation,” reminding attendees that it is not magic, but rather a thoughtful integration of “code, data, and human values.” He shared how AI is already enhancing hospitality through personalized guest experiences, predictive demand forecasting, and multilingual support.
From the world of fintech, Farhan Hassan, Chief Digital Officer at Easypaisa, highlighted how AI is revolutionizing digital banking and enabling inclusive financial solutions tailored for the local market. Meanwhile, Saad Hamid, Regional Lead for the Developer Ecosystem at Google, unveiled powerful developer tools including Gemini 2.5 Flash, the Agent Development Kit, and Firebase Studio, which allow builders to create production-ready AI agents and applications faster than ever before.
Other speakers provided equally inspiring perspectives:
Rumsha Fatima, CRM & Automation Lead at Repstack Co, illustrated how AI-driven features in Google Workspace and AppSheet are streamlining workflows and enabling smarter collaboration.
Danial Nasir, CEO of Portsea Games, shared how AI is transforming the game development pipeline — from creating immersive storylines and dynamic NPCs to real-time level design powered by text prompts.
Abdul Fahad, Senior AI Engineer at Mobiz, tackled the sobering reality that many AI projects fail, offering solutions grounded in Google Cloud Platform and multi-agent system architecture to ensure scalability and resilience.
Robina Mirbahar, Cloud Engineer at Infinity, & Google Developer Expert for Cloud & GenAI, demonstrated the power of Google AI Studio and generative tools like Imagen and Veo, which enable rapid, high-quality content creation for real-world brands like Puma.
Tauheed Ali, Senior Lead Android at Marvel X, showed how Jetpack Compose has become the go-to framework for modern Android development, enabling smooth and intuitive animations that surpass traditional XML layouts.
Hadi Khan, Co-Founder and CTO at Parhlai, showcased how AI is addressing Pakistan’s education accessibility crisis with personalized, cost-effective learning platforms like Parhlai, a zero-cost, AI-powered test preparation app for students.
This impactful event was made possible through the support of our exceptional partners: Pearl Continental Hotel & Hashoo Group, Innovista, Easypaisa, Suno TV, Suno Digital, TechJuice, Optimize Digital, and Cheezious. Their collaboration ensured a seamless, memorable experience for attendees and underscored the importance of collective efforts in driving Pakistan’s tech ecosystem forward.
The TechJuice social media and content teams engaged with speakers and attendees to capture exclusive opinions on the rapid evolution of AI. Through interviews, interactive posts, and real-time stories, they amplified the voices of developers questioning how AI will redefine productivity, creativity, and opportunity in the years to come.
Reflecting on the event’s significance, Muhammad Umar Nazir, Co-Manager of GDG Islamabad, shared:
“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.”
Google I/O Extended Islamabad 2025 was more than just a conference; it was a call to action. It reminded everyone present that the future belongs to those willing to experiment, learn, and build with purpose. From thought-provoking keynotes to hands-on application, the event empowered its audience to unlock their potential with AI and contribute meaningfully to the digital transformation of Pakistan.
