Rabat – Moroccan professor and AI expert Anasse Bari has called on the Moroccan government to create a specialized university and a ministry dedicated to artificial intelligence. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bari said these steps are necessary to help Morocco catch up in this rapidly growing field.
The country needs to train young people in AI and create local solutions for education, health, transport, and agriculture, he argued, stressing that a dedicated AI university would help prepare Moroccan students to become global tech leaders.
“Governments must prioritize investment in artificial intelligence to ensure Arab students can enter the global competition and benefit from technological potential to prepare a new generation of thinkers, and to use AI in key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and renewable energy,” Bari told Al Jazeera.
Bari is currently a professor at New York University (NYU) and leads its AI and Predictive Analytics Lab. He has also worked as a lead data scientist at the World Bank and received awards for his teaching in the United States.
A vision for Morocco’s future
As Artificial intelligence will shape the future of all nations in the coming years, Bari argued, Morocco must act now by establishing a national university and a ministry focused on AI, just like some other countries are already doing.
He noted that Morocco has the talent, but it needs to build the institutions and support systems.
“Moroccans and Arab youth are talented and committed to hard work .. It runs in their blood. And as AI continues to evolve and spread, the demand for university graduates with specialized knowledge and skills in the field will grow,” the professor explained.
He further urged Arab youth to build strong foundations in mathematics and computer science, and to use AI ethically. “Despite its [AI’s] huge potential, it comes with very important ethical considerations,” Bari says.
He also noted the importance of having a national AI strategy, as other countries have already started working on long-term AI plans.
“This would be the best investment Arab countries have ever made. From Al Jazeera Net, I call for immediate action, and I am ready to contribute with a clear and executable plan to help achieve this ambition and take bold, effective steps toward the future,” Bari concluded.
