AI stakeholders convene to advance Algeria's national strategy
Algeria AI Council meets to discuss 2025-2030 implementation of national strategy
#Algeria #AIstrategy - The government-backed AI Council convened government officials, artificial intelligence experts and other key stakeholders today to discuss the implementation of the next phase of Algeria’s National AI Strategy. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Conference, which takes place at the Centre International des Conferences (CIC) in Algiers, will drill down into the six pillars of the National AI Strategy, with a focus on implementation during the 2025-2030 phase of the 10-year plan.
SO WHAT? - The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2020 - 2030 has been through several iterations since it was first launched by the country’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in 2019. In common with many other countries, Algeria faces significant gaps in compute resources, digitisation and data readiness, and has to compete with global AI hubs for investment and talent. While progress has been made, much potential remains latent. However, Algeria’s greatest strength - the ability to produce computer science talent - continues to grow stronger, with 74 master programmes in AI now offered across 52 universities in the country. A critical measure of the 2025-2030 phase of the AI Strategy, will be how much top national AI talent can be enrolled in efforts to position Algeria as a leading AI hub.
Here are some key points about Algeria’s National AI Strategy:
The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Conference takes place today, organised by Algeria’s AI Council to discuss the implementation of the National AI Strategy over the next five years.
The National Research and Innovation Strategy on Artificial Intelligence 2020-2020 was first launched in 2019 and has been subject to ongoing revisions and improvements. In 2023, the strategy underwent a significant revision, with the key pillars of the strategy being expanded to six.
Last year also saw the formation of the National Scientific Council for Artificial Intelligence (AI Council), reporting to Algeria’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Professor Kamel Bidari, and the Minister of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-entreprises Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid. Headed by Professor Merouane Debbah, the AI Council is tasked with providing the government with recommendations on cross-sectorial strategy and national AI policy advice for the development of AI technology.
Despite the launch of the Algeria’s National AI Strategy, its rank in the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index has changed little, coming 118 out of 172 countries in 2020, and 120 out of 193 countries in the 2023 index.
Progress has been made under the National AI Strategy, in particular in the areas of higher education, R&D, entrepreneurship and national policy frameworks. For example, the National Data Protection Authority was established last year as an independent administrative authority,
With 57, 702 students now studying computer science and 74 master programmes in AI currently available across 52 universities, Algeria’s capacity to produce AI talent only continues to grow. Meanwhile, notable Algerian researchers are among the top 2% scientists worldwide, while the volume of recognised scientific papers published by scientists from Algeria remains in the top five in Africa and among the top 50 countries globally.
The government now plans to capitalise on the foundation work, policy changes and other advances made over the past five years, during the coming 2025-2030 phase of the National AI Stratgey via these six pillars:
Advancing research and innovation
Enhancing skills development
Investing in infrastructure
Promoting Algeria’s AI ecosystem
Establishing a strong regulatory framework
Focusing on priority sectors
ZOOM OUT - The AI race has now come to Africa! There has been a noticeable upswing in investment, government AI programmes and AI research out puts from Africa over the past couple of years. More than $2 billion of new investment in African data infrastructure projects was announced during 2024. Meantime, both development of government policy for artificial intelligence and outputs from AI R&D in Africa are also on the rise. Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia all announced their first national AI strategies this year, in addition to the continental AI strategy launched by the African Union in June. This will provide both more opportunity for more advanced AI ecosystems like Algeria to capitalise on Africa’s growing AI market and also the prospect of more competition in the future.
Zambia launches AI Strategy to boost jobs & economy (Africa AI News)
African Ministers endorse joint continental AI strategy (Africa AI News)