What does the road ahead for Egypt’s AI sector look like? The National Council for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) released the second edition of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (pdf) last month, delineating how it aims to develop the AI sector between 2025 and 2030. The roadmap aims to leverage AI to drive economic growth and social development in a bid to position the country as a leading AI hub in the Middle East and Africa.

Remember: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi launched the first edition of the strategy in 2021, following the 2019 formation of the cabinet’s NCAI, which is tasked with overseeing the strategy’s implementation. The earlier blueprint rested on four pillars — AI for government (AI4G), AI for development and prosperity (AI4D), AI for humans (AI4H), and AI for international relations (AI4X).

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A bird’s eye view: The strategy is guided by the overarching vision of building a “Digital Egypt” — which is also the running theme of a collection of initiatives run by the Communications and Information Technology Ministry. The strategy seeks to create an inclusive AI ecosystem for all Egyptians.

The revamped strategy is centered on six pillars — governance, technology, data, infrastructure, ecosystem, and talent. Here’s the rundown:

#1- The governance pillar prioritizes ethical and responsible AI use. It comprises two key initiatives. The first is setting up a comprehensive regulatory structure, including an ethical framework and a regulatory body. The second is participating in global and regional AI governance discussions, with Egypt aiming to play a prominent role in shaping the sector’s global governance.

#2- The cornerstone of the tech pillar aims to develop a national Arabic language AI model. This model aims to support language translation, sentiment analysis, and content generation. It also seeks to fuel the operations of several well-established sectors — including manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics — as well as nascent AI industries like autonomous vehicles, robotics, and smart technologies. The second tenet of the technology pillar involves expanding AI-focused R&D activities through funding, grants, and campaigns, while the third aims to introduce AI patent granting — a system that the government is currently working on.

#3- Enhancing data accessibility, quality, and security to support AI development. The third pillar involves setting up clear guidelines for data protection, privacy, and consent. It also entails creating high-quality Arabic datasets to improve AI and machine learning (ML) applications. There’s also a push for an open data and data exchange platform to encourage data sharing and innovation. To keep things safe, a personal data protection authority is being set up, along with stricter security measures like encryption and better access controls.

#4- Building scalable AI infrastructure: Key initiatives of the infrastructure pillar include establishing advanced data centers to enhance data security and processing power, expanding cloud computing resources and supercomputers, and rolling out nationwide 5G and fiber-optic networks for high-speed connectivity. Sustainability is also a priority, with a focus on green computing, energy-efficient data centers, and solar-powered infrastructure to reduce environmental impact.

#5- Cultivating a vibrant AI ecosystem: The fifth pillar aims in part to create a dynamic investment environment by offering incentives to attract venture capital, supporting AI startups, and encouraging the growth of AI unicorns. A major focus is on industry-academia partnerships, ensuring researchers, businesses, and policymakers collaborate on cutting-edge AI projects. Egypt also aims to become a global AI hub, hosting major conferences and funding AI research. Additionally, public awareness initiatives will promote AI literacy.

#6- Developing local AI talent: The sixth strategy includes nurturing and attracting senior AI experts through competitive incentives, as well as forming international academic alliances, including exchange programs and joint research. The government will also push for cross-disciplinary AI courses, rolling out joint major programs that integrate AI with fields like business, healthcare, and agriculture. Additionally, a certification system will be set up to ensure AI professionals meet global standards.

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