Tunisia

The activities of the Second Arab International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education , organized by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) at its headquarters in Tunis, were launched in the presence of the former Prime Minister of Tunisia, Her Excellency Dr. Najla Bouden, and a large number of international experts and representatives of educational and technological institutions, with the participation of 20 Arab and foreign countries, to discuss developments in artificial intelligence and its impact on the education sector in the Arab world.

Generative AI at the forefront of discussions

The second session of the conference was dedicated to focusing on generative artificial intelligence and its uses in education, and discussing the latest technological developments in the field of large language models (LLMs) . The working papers included presenting and analyzing the most important and successful international and Arab experiences in using artificial intelligence in education, and discussion platforms for knowledge exchange between experts, specialists, and educational policy makers.

Speech of His Excellency the Director General of ALECSO

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Jemni , Director of the Information and Communication Technology Department, delivered the speech on behalf of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar , Director General of ALECSO , in which he stressed the importance of the second session of the conference as an important step towards developing a deeper understanding of the effects of artificial intelligence in the field of education, and exploring the opportunities it provides to improve the quality of education in the Arab world.

Dr. Mohamed Al-Jamni pointed out that ALECSO pays great attention to keeping pace with technological transformations, and that it has launched many projects that aim to enhance the use of artificial intelligence in education, such as the Artificial Intelligence in Education Project , the Blockchain Project to Protect Certificates , in addition to the Arab Platform for Open Educational Resources .

Speech of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy: Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Education and the Importance of Ethical Governance

Mr. Ayman Ghoneim, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, delivered the Federation’s speech during the session, in which he discussed trends in integrating artificial intelligence into education and the importance of ethical governance of generative artificial intelligence in Arab educational systems.

He referred to the Arab initiative of the Union: the Arab platform for digital education “edu4arab.org” , which is being implemented in cooperation with Cairo University and under the patronage of His Excellency the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Association of Arab Universities. He explained that the platform aims to provide a distinguished digital educational experience that benefits from artificial intelligence to enhance cognitive comprehension , away from traditional education.

Ghanem stressed that this initiative embodies a vision for a future where education and technology converge to create equal opportunities for learners, which will reshape the educational landscape in the Arab world.

The importance of digital education globally

The Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy pointed out the accelerating growth levels of digital education globally, and that the e-learning market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.56%  from 2024 to 2029. He explained that in 2023, about 220 million people around the world participated in an online training course, which highlights the importance of Arab initiatives such as the Arab Platform for Digital Education , which aims to reach millions of Arab students and graduates. 

Focus on ethical governance of AI

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy’s speech also addressed the ethical challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence, emphasizing three main axes:

1. Data Privacy : Protecting educational content, student data, and institutional information through a system of digital security measures such as electronic encryption and digital identity management.
2. Ensuring models are not biased : Use diverse, academically validated data to train models, with continuous evaluation using quality methodologies.
3. Considering the changing role of teachers : The importance of enabling teachers to effectively integrate AI, with a focus on the human dimensions of education.

Call for a balanced approach

Mr. Ghoneim concluded his speech by calling for a balanced approach to integrating AI into education, encouraging responsible innovation while maintaining ethical principles, and stressed the importance of:

• Implement strict data protection measures to ensure privacy and build trust.
• Develop fair AI models using diverse data, and engage multidisciplinary teams to reduce bias.
• Provide ongoing training for teachers to integrate AI tools effectively and ethically.
• Foster collaboration between technology experts and educators to design systems that meet educational needs.
• Focus on results and use TQM methodologies to enhance applications and quickly address any defects.

He stressed the role of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy in this context, welcoming cooperation with sister Arab organizations, universities, teachers and experts to enhance digital education based on artificial intelligence, noting that these efforts represent a golden opportunity to provide future Arab generations with a distinguished educational experience and enhance their knowledge in a world full of challenges and promising opportunities.

Keynotes and Future Projects

The conference witnessed four main interventions that received wide interest from the attendees:

• Eng. Imad Zitouni , Director of Engineering at Google USA, gave a presentation on the “ Gemini in Arabic ” project , reviewing the role of artificial intelligence in developing search engines and opening new horizons to improve the experience of Arab users on the Internet.
• Professor Tawfik Jelassi , Assistant Director-General of UNESCO , discussed the organization’s efforts to modernize education and promote the use of modern technology, stressing the need to benefit from digital education as a basic means for human, social and economic development. He pointed out the importance of establishing legal and ethical frameworks that regulate the use of artificial intelligence to maintain the integrity of the educational process and protect the emerging generations.
• Dr. Reem Abdel Razek , E-Learning Expert at UNICEF , spoke about the importance of integrating AI into curricula to enhance students’ ability to think critically and innovatively, noting the role that AI can play in bridging the educational gap between urban and rural areas.
• Dr. Khaled Mansour , Program Manager at Microsoft Education , gave a presentation on how to use AI tools to improve teacher performance and develop personalized educational content, stressing the importance of developing public-private partnerships to support digital education in the Arab region.

 Launching the “Innovation Skills ” Project

The conference announced the launch of the Skills for Innovation (SFI) project  in collaboration with Intel Corporation , the Millennium Foundation for Sustainable Education , and Classera Smart Learning . The project aims to prepare Arab youth for the future by providing them with the skills needed to innovate in the digital age, and focuses on integrating 21st century skills into educational systems through technology-based educational solutions. The project also includes practical training programs aimed at improving critical and innovative thinking, and enhancing problem-solving and teamwork skills. The project’s organizers hope that this collaboration will contribute to bridging the gap between traditional education and the needs of the rapidly changing labor market, enabling Arab youth to compete in the global digital economy.

Conference recommendations

The conference concluded its work with a set of important recommendations, most notably:

• Promoting the use of generative AI in education with consideration of ethical and governance aspects.
• Develop national AI strategies that include clear policies for data governance and privacy protection.
• Empowering teachers by providing ongoing training on AI tools and techniques.
• Enhancing regional and international cooperation to exchange expertise and best practices in the field of artificial intelligence in education.
• Supporting innovation and scientific research in the field of artificial intelligence and its educational applications.
• Integrating 21st century skills into curricula to ensure students are prepared for the demands of the future labour market.
• Providing a strong digital infrastructure that supports the integration of modern technologies in education and ensures fair access to them for all.
• Encouraging the private sector to invest in developing innovative educational solutions based on artificial intelligence.

 Distinctive and remarkable presence

The 2nd Arab International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education witnessed rich discussions and valuable interventions, all of which emphasized the importance of integrating artificial intelligence into education in a responsible and ethical manner , to achieve a qualitative leap in the quality of education and provide equal opportunities for learners in the Arab world. The conference also highlighted the efforts made by Arab and international institutions to achieve this goal, while emphasizing the need for joint cooperation to face challenges and benefit from the opportunities provided by artificial intelligence to improve the future of education.

In this context, the Arab Federation for Digital Economy stressed during its meetings with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization the importance of enhancing coordination and joint cooperation to focus on priority educational issues, including artificial intelligence. The Federation is working to consolidate relations with the organization in support of joint Arab action and to serve the sons and youth of the Arabs, as the Federation launched its important initiative, the Arab Platform for Digital Education www.edu4arab.org, which aims to provide a distinguished educational experience based on the latest technologies.