The ethical use and development of artificial intelligence (AI) strategy in Egypt: identifying gaps and recommendations

Abstract

Egypt’s 2024 national strategy on the ethical use and development of artificial intelligence (AI) represents a significant milestone in aligning technological advancement with international human rights and responsible innovation principles. While the strategy articulates commendable ethical pillars—such as transparency, privacy, and accountability—it remains largely aspirational in nature, with limited provisions for enforcement, sector-specific guidance, or public engagement. This paper presents a structured qualitative policy analysis of the strategy, identifying twelve key governance gaps through a comparative review method grounded in international frameworks (e.g., UNESCO, EU AI Act, Canada’s Directive on Automated Decision-Making) and regional strategies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. Additionally, an embedded case study from Egypt’s healthcare sector highlights the practical implications of these policy shortcomings. Key gaps include the absence of legal mandates, exclusion of informal sector needs, limited data sovereignty, and a lack of gender-responsive AI auditing. To address these challenges, the study proposes actionable reforms including the establishment of an independent AI ethics regulator, the adoption of sector-specific ethical toolkits, and the integration of AI ethics into Egypt’s Vision 2030 and national education system. This research offers one of the first academic assessments of Egypt’s AI ethics framework and contributes to a growing body of literature on responsible AI governance in the Global South.