Egypt has embraced AI, but can its labour market accommodate the ambitions of its youth?

Learning initiatives at universities are promising, and the government has an AI strategy, but with opinion surveys revealing lingering fears, there is much more work to be done

Andy Potts

There are promising signs of a national readiness to embrace the technological revolution sweeping the world but can Egypt's labour market accommodate young graduates in the field?

Egypt has embraced AI, but can its labour market accommodate the ambitions of its youth?

Marcelle Nasr

last update on 21 Sep 2023

Cairo: Times are changing in Egypt, where people have long resisted the advance of technology into everyday life.

Until a few years ago, Egyptians were even reluctant to use cards to withdraw cash from machines. However, a combination of service charges in bank branches and the way Covid-19 pandemic boosted digital payment techniques helped dismiss widespread concern about the dangers of online data security.

This breakthrough helped with another technological change: accepting Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various areas, from education to the economy and even healthcare and dealing with government agencies.

And so, a nation recently known for its tech phobia now has some state-of-the-art attitudes to AI. But as opinion surveys reveal lingering doubts and industry experts call for more government action, more is required to meet the opportunities on offer.

Strategy up and running

There has been some government support from the National Council for Artificial Intelligence established in November 2019.

It is responsible for an overall, national AI strategy. It has, so far moved quicker than the private sector, setting up an Applied Innovation Centre within the Ministry of Communications to help the country harness the technology. However, there are still bureaucratic obstacles to licensing and developing AI within the country.

It leaves the country with solid potential to harness the AI boom, but work needs to be done to capitalise on the momentum. Many of the jobs and opportunities created come from outside Egypt and rely on international services companies.

The National Council for Artificial Intelligence established in November 2019 leaves the country with solid potential to harness the AI boom, but work needs to be done to capitalise on the momentum.

Universities take the lead

But the conditions in an essential area for the future are promising: education.

Egypt runs special programmes for university students, graduates and professionals, including technical and non-technical positions and executive positions in the private and public sectors.

The initiative seems to be working.

Young Egyptians have excelled in competitions around advanced AI, with Egyptian universities leading the list of participants in the International Collegiate Programming Contest in 2021 — one of the first AI contests of its kind.

Universities are introducing AI as a specialist field of study, which will help provide the skilled workers the field will need in the future. There will be a need to connect graduates with jobs in the labour market, but progress is being made.

Tablets increasingly replace chalk

And the pipeline of promising students should be helped by modernisation in schools, where tablet computers and other up-to-date tools are becoming more commonplace, as attitudes toward technology have improved.

As recently as three years ago, parental insistence on using traditional books and notetaking was much more common.

Egypt is already progressing and closing the technological gap with more advanced countries. The minister of planning and economic development, Hala Al-Said, revealed that Egypt moved up 46 places on the Government AI Readiness Index, from 111th to 65th in 2022.

Andy Potts — Learning initiatives at universities are promising, and the government has a strategy, but with opinion surveys revealing lingering fears, there is more work to be done.

And voices from the private sector agree.

Young Egyptians have excelled in competitions around advanced AI, with Egyptian universities leading the list of participants in the International Collegiate Programming Contest in 2021 — one of the first AI contests of its kind.

Ringing the changes for jobs

Christina Kaiser, the director of project programming at Vodafone Global, who is in her late twenties, told Al Majalla that AI had "become an integral part of Egyptian people's lives," adding:

"The state has realised that we are in a new era, even though it is still in its infancy. Egypt currently focuses on adopting artificial intelligence and innovation in many sectors, expanding its collaboration with telecommunications and information technology companies."

There are some fears about jobs AI could make obsolete, but they come with optimism for new kinds of employment that will be created. As a recent law graduate, Youssef Nashid says, "Some professions may disappear in the next two decades, with artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence in certain fields."

He adds: "AI has become a necessity in our lives as young people in Egypt because it offers a fast way to gather extensive information from various sources in an organised manner."

That will boost the productivity of the new jobs that are created. And the government's AI strategy has been up and running for three years. The Egyptian AI Ethics Charter was created in April 2023 to develop legal frameworks for the ethical and responsible use of smart technology in society.

But like other developing countries, Egypt is still working to create the necessary laws to control AI applications and practices, particularly in light of the unprecedented development of generative chatbot technologies such as ChatGPT.

Nash Weerasekera

Reform required

Dr. Alaa El Nahry, deputy director of the Regional Center for Space Science, says AI is "in its early stages in Egypt," and: "The state is interested and trying to encourage it, but the problem it faces is the lack of connection between university graduates and the labour market, which is the most important and basic incentive," adding:

The state is interested and trying to encourage it, but the problem it faces is the lack of connection between university graduates and the labour market, which is the most important and basic incentive.

Dr. Alaa El Nahry, deputy director of the Regional Center for Space Science

"Young people want to join these universities, but they have concerns about whether the labour market can accommodate their ambitions. In addition, many companies in Egypt are unfamiliar with AI knowledge, discouraging young people from enrolling in these universities."

He said the prominent sectors currently focusing on artificial intelligence in Egypt are space science and telecommunications. However, he said the need for reform to help capture the opportunities of AI was urgent.

Lingering fears

An official survey into public opinion on AI carried out in June, found a significant proportion of Egyptian citizens view it as a major danger and threat.

Future AI dangers were perceived as broad, covering the lifestyles of individuals, societies, decision-making processes, governance standards, education, and employment.

So, while Egyptians have come far in accepting new technology and the government has made progress on getting ready for AI, there is still much to do.

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