Attaullah Abbasi

Atta Abbasi is a Policy Manager - AI at J-PAL Global, where he helps manage efforts to maximize the social benefits of artificial intelligence and assess its potential risks and unintended consequences. In this role, he has co-authored J-PAL’s AI Evidence Playbook, a practical guide for generating and using evidence on AI-enabled programs. As a member of the Policy and Communications group, Attaullah works with partners including governments, NGOs, academics, technology firms, AI labs, and others to advance evidence-informed policymaking. 

Prior to joining J-PAL in 2025, Attaullah served as an Assistant Director at the State Bank of Pakistan, where his research examined how digital transformation could accelerate economic development in low- and middle-income countries and highlighted gaps in human capital and digital infrastructure. He also worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Chicago on projects related to obesity drug pricing and COVID-19 vaccine innovation.

Attaullah holds an MPP with a specialization in data analytics from the University of Chicago, where he was selected as an Obama Foundation Scholar, and a BSc in economics and mathematics from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi