A critical perspective on technological implementation in educational systems
Introduction
The integration of artificial intelligence in education across North Africa presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges. As highlighted during the recent AI & Education seminar titled “AI and Education: Penser l’outil et ses usages” held in Tunis on February 24-26, organized by Tunisia’s Ministry of Education and the Centre International De Formation Des Formateurs et d’Innovation Pédagogique, the conversation around AI must extend beyond technical implementation to address fundamental questions of sovereignty, ethics, and cultural context.
Current Landscape: AI Initiatives in North African Education
Egypt: Strategic Implementation with Cultural Focus
Egypt has positioned AI as a catalyst for development and prosperity with an explicit focus on Arabic language and cultural values. The Egyptian national AI strategy includes four primary pillars:
- AI for Government: Rapid adoption of AI technologies to automate governmental processes and integrate AI into decision-making cycles to increase efficiency and transparency.
- AI for Development: Application of AI across economic sectors using a progressive approach to achieve efficiency gains and improved economic growth. Priority sectors include agriculture, water management, healthcare, Arabic natural language processing, economic planning, and intelligent infrastructure management.
- Capacity Building: Preparing Egyptian citizens for the AI era at all levels, from general awareness in schools to university education and professional training for both technical and non-technical disciplines.
- International Activities: Playing a key role in promoting cooperation at regional and international levels by advocating for relevant initiatives and representing African and Arab positions in global AI discussions.
The Egyptian Ministry of Education has recently launched an AI-based digital learning platform that centralizes essential academic resources. Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif announced that this platform will integrate school curricula, assessments, and teaching materials, allowing students greater autonomy in their learning journey. The platform leverages AI to offer personalized learning experiences tailored to each student’s specific needs.
Morocco: Ethical Focus and Regional Leadership
Morocco is actively developing its AI framework with emphasis on ethical implementation and regulatory measures. In April 2024, a parliamentary opposition group proposed establishing a National Artificial Intelligence Agency to oversee AI technologies, strengthen international collaboration, and raise public awareness about AI’s potential and risks.
Morocco has expressed ambition to create a dedicated AI system, as highlighted by the Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Ghita Mezzour. This initiative aims to foster innovation, economic growth, and develop new services and employment opportunities.
The existing legal framework in Morocco includes Law No. 09-08, which governs personal data protection, and the creation of the National Commission for Personal Data Protection Control (CNDP). These measures provide a foundation for AI regulation, particularly regarding data privacy and security.
Key Moroccan initiatives include:
- Creation of Digital Relays across the country to support citizens unfamiliar with digital technologies, with special efforts to ensure women, rural populations, and people with disabilities are not left behind.
- Establishment of the Moroccan International Center for Artificial Intelligence (AI Movement) at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), focusing on promoting Moroccan and African expertise in AI and data science.
- In November 2023, AI Movement was recognized as the first Category II center under UNESCO’s auspices for AI in Africa, highlighting its role in maximizing the social and economic impact of AI for Africa’s prosperity.
- Improved data access through the launch of an open data portal, reflecting Morocco’s commitment to integrating AI into its digital strategy.
The Challenge: AI is Not Neutral
Despite the promising developments, a critical perspective presented at the Tunis seminar emphasized that AI is not a neutral technology. For Global South communities, these technologies often represent a new form of digital colonialism operating through several mechanisms:
Digital Extraction and Dependency
Similar to how colonial powers exploited natural resources, tech giants extract personal data to transform into wealth, often with minimal return to local communities. This creates asymmetric power relationships where the Global South becomes dependent on technologies designed elsewhere, with little control over how their data is used or monetized.
Cultural Homogenization
Western-developed AI imposes cultural, economic, and behavioral norms globally, potentially erasing local particularities and diverse ways of thinking that are essential to educational traditions in North Africa. Educational AI systems often embed Western pedagogical assumptions that may not align with local cultural contexts or learning needs.
Algorithmic Governance Without Representation
Decision-making increasingly shifts from humans to opaque algorithmic systems beyond democratic control. This technical opacity can undermine local educational authority and autonomy, as algorithms designed in Silicon Valley make determinations about student performance, teacher effectiveness, or curriculum relevance in North African classrooms.
A Path Forward: Critical Engagement with AI in Education
For North African educational systems to benefit from AI while maintaining sovereignty and cultural integrity, several approaches are essential:
1. Develop Local AI Capacity
Building local expertise is crucial for reducing dependency. Initiatives like Morocco’s AI Movement and Egypt’s capacity-building programs are steps in the right direction. These efforts must be expanded to create a generation of AI practitioners who understand both the technical aspects and the specific cultural contexts of North African education.
2. Establish Strong Regulatory Frameworks
Comprehensive legal frameworks must govern AI use in education, particularly regarding data protection, algorithmic transparency, and ethical standards. These frameworks should reflect local values and priorities rather than simply importing regulatory models from elsewhere.
3. Center Educational Values in AI Design
AI tools for education should be designed to support rather than replace the human relationships at the heart of teaching and learning. They should amplify cultural and pedagogical values, not substitute external standards and priorities.
4. Promote Critical AI Literacy
Students, teachers, and administrators need the skills to understand, critique, and appropriately use AI tools. This includes technical knowledge as well as the ability to assess AI systems for potential biases, limitations, and cultural assumptions.
Conclusion
The integration of AI in North African educational systems stands at a critical juncture. While Egypt and Morocco demonstrate impressive strategic vision in their national AI initiatives, the fundamental question remains whether these technologies will serve as tools for empowerment or instruments of digital colonialism.
As we advance in educational technology, we must develop critical awareness and strong regulations to ensure AI amplifies rather than undermines local educational sovereignty. The future of education should be one where technology enhances cultural and pedagogical values, not one where external standards and priorities become the default.
By maintaining vigilance, building local capacity, and centering human relationships in education, North African countries can harness AI’s potential while charting their own unique educational futures.
