Pakistan, May 21 -- When Mustafa Suleyman warned that many white-collar tasks could be automated within the next 12 to 18 months, it sounded dramatic. But it did not sound impossible. He was not talking about robots replacing factory workers. He was talking about the work done by people sitting in front of computers: legal drafting, accounting, marketing, project management, coding, reporting, documentation, research, and routine office decision-making.

Microsoft AI chief warning on white-collar automation

Now ask the uncomfortable question: what happens to Pakistan?

Pakistan has seen technology waves before. When the internet arrived, the world started changing fast. Businesses moved online. Global communication became instant. New co...