In 2021, Egypt released its National AI Strategy, developed by the National Council for Artificial Intelligence. The strategy aims to harness AI for sustainable development and establish Egypt as a key player in regional AI cooperation. It focuses on four main pillars: AI for government efficiency and transparency, AI applications in key economic sectors, capacity building and public awareness, and international cooperation. The strategy is being implemented in phases, with the second phase set to begin in 2024, expanding AI into additional sectors and establishing a "paperless, collaborative, and smart" government.
In February 2023, Egypt adopted the Egyptian Charter for Responsible AI, which draws inspiration from the OECD AI Principles and UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI. The Charter outlines guidelines for assessing AI systems' trustworthiness and emphasises human-centered development, fairness, accountability, and transparency. Key principles include prioritising citizen well-being in government AI applications, regular monitoring of AI systems to prevent data drift and bias, and maintaining human responsibility and decision-making authority over AI systems.
Egypt chairs both the African Union's AI Working Group and the Arab League's AI Working Group, spearheading efforts to develop regional AI strategies. The country has been instrumental in drafting the "Common Africa Position Paper on the Priority Areas of Africa towards AI" and a unified Arab strategy for AI.
On the data protection front, Egypt passed a Personal Data Protection Law in 2020, modelled after the EU's GDPR. However, the law's implementation has been delayed, and concerns remain about surveillance and privacy infringement. The country has not yet established an independent data protection authority.
While Egypt has endorsed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and launched a National Human Rights Strategy in 2021, international organisations continue to express concerns about restrictions on civil liberties and freedom of expression. Freedom House rates Egypt as "not free" in terms of political rights, civil liberties, and internet freedom. The increased adoption of biometric technologies for security and surveillance has raised additional human rights concerns, particularly given the lack of comprehensive legal frameworks governing their use.
Egypt has actively participated in international AI initiatives, including contributing to the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, engaging with OECD working groups on AI governance, and supporting international efforts to regulate autonomous weapons systems.
As Egypt moves forward with its AI strategy, key challenges include ensuring transparent and inclusive public participation in AI policy development, balancing innovation with privacy protection and human rights safeguards, implementing and enforcing data protection regulations, and addressing concerns about surveillance and restrictions on digital freedoms.
This country report is our interpretation and summary of the "CAIDP Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values Index 2023". The full report can be found here - https://www.caidp.org/reports/aidv-2023/