AI Integration in Education in the MENA Region: Will it Be a Driver of Social Inequality?

Abstract

This policy brief aims to open a regional discussion on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, focusing on AI integration in education and related implications. The introductory section provides a comprehensive overview of the AI landscape in the region, exploring the state of AI education and the main AI government policies or strategies. The second section highlights existing challenges to the integration of AI in education in the region. Far from polarising positions, the next section reflects on the ways in which AI is causing disruption in education, arguing that this disruption can have both positive and negative impacts on various human rights, depending on the existence and enforcement of appropriate governance and regulatory frameworks. It then presents two different policy scenarios. Finally, concrete policy recommendations are provided for different actors to address and mitigate the identified risks to the right to education.