The summit, organized by GITEX Global and hosted by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) alongside the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), is part of Egypt’s second national AI strategy, which aims to attract investment and generate an estimated $42.7 billion in AI-related economic value by 2030.
US artificial intelligence companies are increasingly viewing Egypt as a regional hub for expansion, talent development, and digital innovation, Evyenia Sidereas, chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Cairo, told Ahram Online on the sidelines of the event.
Sidereas told Ahram Online that American AI firms are not only seeking to expand their customer base across sectors such as healthcare, education, banking, and government services, but are also investing in local capacity building.
“Several US companies are working with Egyptian universities to offer free certification and training programmes aimed at bridging the gap between academic study and labour market needs,” she said, adding that these initiatives aim to prepare young Egyptians for well-paying jobs.
She said Egypt’s large, educated population and its position linking Africa, the Middle East, and Europe could enable it to play a leading role in AI, provided regulatory and bureaucratic reforms continue.
Sidereas praised the role of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and affiliated entities in organising the event, describing it as an important platform for dialogue between government and industry.
“The conference highlights the opportunities Egypt offers and opens discussions on how to create a level playing field that encourages global investment while responding to local market needs,” she said.
Asked what US companies expected from the event, Sidereas said firms were focused on delivering secure AI systems, particularly in sectors handling financial services and sensitive data.
“Trust, data protection, and cybersecurity are essential. US companies have a strong track record in these areas and are highly responsive to feedback from governments, businesses, and consumers,” she said.
She added that most US firms operating in Egypt prioritize local hiring and training rather than importing foreign labour, to support innovation and entrepreneurship.
Sidereas also welcomed Egyptian government efforts to promote what she described as responsible AI use, including safeguards against misuse and misinformation.
“Egypt has the potential to play a much larger role in AI across the Middle East and Africa,” she said, citing the country’s free trade agreements and growing digital infrastructure as key enablers.
Open-source oversight key as AI systems grow more autonomous
As AI systems evolve beyond chat-based tools into increasingly autonomous agents, stronger oversight and transparency are becoming essential to protect security, privacy, and public trust, US computer scientist Margaret Mitchell said.
Mitchell warned that next-generation AI systems are now capable of acting independently, including drafting content, posting online, and managing communications without continuous human input, developments that raise new risks if not properly governed.
“Once systems move beyond simple interactions and begin acting autonomously, the potential for harm increases, whether through security breaches, misuse, or reputational damage that may be difficult to reverse,” she said.
She argued that open-source development models can help mitigate such risks by allowing wider scrutiny of how systems function.
“The more eyes we have on the technology, the more effectively we can audit systems, understand how data influences outputs, and evaluate performance in real-world contexts,” Mitchell said, adding that open-source ecosystems allow organisations to assess AI tools based on specific use cases rather than relying solely on generic benchmarks.
According to Mitchell, this approach supports more human-centric AI development, giving institutions and communities greater control over how technologies are deployed and adapted to local needs.
“As AI becomes more autonomous, transparency and collective oversight are no longer optional, they are central to building systems that are secure, accountable, and aligned with human values,” she said.
AI efficiency gains are being offset by rising energy use and academic access gaps
Advances in AI are making models smaller and more energy-efficient, allowing reasonably powerful data-centre-level models to run on laptops, a development that was not possible two years ago, according to Babak Hodjat, Chief Technology Officer for AI at US-based information technology solutions provider Cognizant.
However, Hodjat warned that the growing reliance on AI is driving up overall energy consumption, as wider use of the technology increases demand for computing power. He noted that AI systems remain highly energy-intensive despite recent efficiency gains.
Hodjat also stressed the need for broader investment in AI infrastructure beyond large technology firms, calling for greater support for universities, researchers, and students. He cautioned that limited access to advanced computing resources is contributing to an academic drain, with students and professors in the United States and India increasingly voicing concerns over restricted opportunities to innovate in AI.
Concentrating advanced AI capabilities within major service providers risks sidelining academic research and discouraging talent from contributing to the development of what Hodjat described as one of the most powerful technologies available today.
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