The Director General of Scientific Research at the Ministry of Higher Education, Mourad Belassoud, emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence in Tunisia, highlighting its potential in scientific research and stressing the necessity of not leaving Tunisia on the sidelines of progress, and the importance of adopting strategies in this field.
During a scientific event on “Artificial Intelligence and its Role in Economic Development,” Belassoud stated in an interview with Express FM, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, that Tunisia ranks first among African countries in artificial intelligence. Tunisia has 4 Tunisian universities out of 10 universities with significant scientific output in this field, making Tunisia competitive in this sector.
Artificial intelligence encompasses various areas such as health, transportation, and agriculture, and there are indications that Tunisia has the capacity to be competitive in both artificial intelligence and digitization fields.
Regarding the risks of artificial intelligence, Belassoud said
“We must be prepared to deal with the risks arising from the ethical aspects of scientific research and intellectual property rights.”
Minister of Higher Education, Moncef Boukezir, confirmed that Tunisia holds an advanced position globally in scientific publications, ranking third in Africa and 50th worldwide in terms of scientific research output.
He also noted that Tunisia is among the top five countries globally in graduating students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, and is also advanced in the fields of artificial intelligence and media. He expressed regret over the departure of students who have received education in these fields abroad, hoping for new legislation to encourage them to stay in Tunisia.
Tunisia occupies a promising position in the field of artificial intelligence at the continental, Arab, and global levels, according to the Oxford Government’s Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index. The country demonstrates its capabilities in this field, ranking fourth in Africa and 81st globally out of 193 countries.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research organized a scientific event on “Artificial Intelligence and its Role in Economic Development” on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, with the presence of the British Ambassador to the country, Helen Winterton, as part of the research cooperation between Tunisia and Britain in the fields of higher education and scientific research.
Recommendations will be presented at the end of the scientific conference to the Tunisian-British Joint Committee on Higher Education and Scientific Research. This meeting will be held next week in the capital city to follow up on the current conference results.
