In contemporary times, cyberspace has emerged as a new battlefield, where displays of national power are not done only through conventional means like bombs and bullets, but through algorithms and online platforms. India and Pakistan are now confronting each other through new means of cyber operations backed by Artificial Intelligence. The evolution from 1999 website defacement during the Kargil war to AI-powered cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and information in 2025 marks a swift change in the nature of warfare between India and Pakistan. https://ojs.jdss.org.pk/journal/article/view/1280/1197

India and Pakistan have framed AI as a threat to the national security of the states. Through the voices of military institutions, state media, think tanks, and political elites, both states justified taking steps to counter each other. They shifted the use of Artificial Intelligence as a neutral technology to a tool for fulfilling their notion of deterrence in South Asia.

In India, the referent object ranges from breach of sovereignty to critical infrastructure like electoral platforms, power grids, and defense systems. For Pakistan, it includes military networks, biometric databases, and banking systems. For both India and Pakistan, AI-powered cyberattacks are no longer passive technological advancement techniques but security instruments to display dominance and safeguard sovereignty. https://issi.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/6-SS_Aamna_Rafiq_No-1_2019.pdf

AI has transformed cyber warfare in multiple ways. It has allowed more accurate phishing campaigns, automated malware positioning, hacking, espionage, and critical surveillance. India Defense Cyber Agency, National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), and other public-private AI and cyber institutions have placed AI at a technological advantage for the state, where, in Pakistan, institutions like the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence, National Cybersecurity Centre (NCCS), Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA), and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) are working to close this digital gap. https://irs.org.pk/Spotlight/SP08012022.pdf

India is notably surging ahead with offensive AI capabilities while Pakistan remains largely reactive. Still, both states are largely integrating AI into their defense architecture. Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups like APT36 in Pakistan and groups in India under the National Technical Research Organization are rapidly leveraging AI for spyware, zero-day exploits, and denial of service attacks. https://plhr.org.pk/issues/v4/1/cyber-warfare-between-pakistan-and-india-implications-for-the-region.pdf

The main issue with AI-driven cyber rivalry is not only related to technology but also a political and strategic concern. The risk of miscalculation, increased escalation, and collateral damage in critical infrastructure and domains are highly dangerous. As AI systems act faster than human decision makers can respond, the potential for unintended consequences increases. Using a hypothetical situation, the Indian AI surveillance system falsely detects Pakistan cyberattack or vice versa, then retaliation might occur before proper verification. In the South Asian region, where the territorial disputes occur and there are active military deployments, this type of brinkmanship can easily turn into a conflict. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392705004_AI_Driven_Cyber_Warfare_Between_China_and_India_and_Its_Impact_on_Pakistan's_National_Security

Another threat is the lack of transparency in AI models and their role in misinformation and propaganda, which increases the chances of mistrust. Deepfakes, psychological warfare, and disinformation backed by AI are already blurring the lines between reality and perception. https://plhr.org.pk/issues/v4/1/cyber-warfare-between-pakistan-and-india-implications-for-the-region.pdf

India and Pakistan are highly militarizing cyberspace. Indian cybersecurity policy is starting to focus more toward deterrence, offensive capabilities, and global alliances with states like the U.S. and Israel. Through the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and growing surveillance capacities, Pakistan is shifting towards internal control, securitizing cyberspace within its borders, and treating it as a national security concern. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-03788162/document

These moves, whether justified through national defense perspective or not, pose ethical concerns to the states. The increased expansion of state surveillance using AI erodes civil liberties and reduces democratic space. Portraying securitizing cyberspace through AI as a digital shield can become a sword for the internal dynamics of the state.

While India and Pakistan are rapidly enhancing their cyber capacities, they lack cyber diplomacy. There is no established or written bilateral agreement between both states that identifies regulations for cyber conduct, and no clear red lines for digital interactions and ethical issues. This lack of regulation can create a place for conflict.  https://margallapapers.ndu.edu.pk/site/article/view/121

However, both states face common cyber threats such as hacking, ransomware gangs, use of encrypted messages by terrorist organizations, and cybercrimes, including attacks on commercial infrastructure. These common problems require a set of shared solutions to deal with cyber threats.

The way forward must include Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), mutual incident reporting centers, joint cyber exercises, and third-party mediation under the regional as well as international organizations like the UN, SAARC, SCO, and BRICS. Digital peace can also be ensured through academic exchanges, collaborative AI governance, and digital literacy campaigns. Instead of weaponizing AI, the two states can approach reaching ethical standards for using AI in the defense realm.

The India-Pakistan cyber conflict is not only a technological arms race, it is a reflection of unresolved political tensions where digital tools are being leveraged to counter each other. As both nations continue to securitize AI in cyberspace, risks of destabilization, miscalculation, and escalation will continue. https://plhr.org.pk/issues/v4/1/cyber-warfare-between-pakistan-and-india-implications-for-the-region.pdf

Jannat Naseeb is an International Relations student currently pursuing her MS in Security and Strategic Studies, concentrating on global security dynamics, geopolitical strategies and defense policies, Jannat Naseeb focuses on analyzing contemporary security challenges, conflict resolution and strategic policymaking.