The ethics of AI use is a discipline still being authored — an unfinished project responsive to changes in the evolving technology. But that doesn’t mean ethicists aren’t getting a head start, and that includes the burgeoning Arabic AI sector.
Take Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI) and the American University of Sharjah (AUS), for example. In April, the two educational institutions signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on promoting Arabic and Islamic studies, digital humanities, language pedagogy, and AI ethics, according to Morocco World News. University representatives signed the agreement Central Bank of Morocco in April with government and educational officials bearing witness.
“This MoU with Al Akhawayn reflects the deep-rooted ties between the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE, and the Kingdom of Morocco, and highlights our shared commitment to advancing higher education and preserving cultural identity,” said AUS President Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, according to Gulf News. “Through this partnership, we look forward to enriching academic exchange and strengthening collaboration between our institutions and our nations.”
“This agreement seeks to empower our universities to collaborate on scientific research and academic initiatives across multiple fields of shared interest,” added Abdellatif Jouahri, governor of Bank Al Maghrib and chairman of AUI’s board of trustees
So what does “promotion” of those academic disciplines mean precisely? According to Gulf News, the partnership encompasses “wide-ranging academic engagement, including faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, and co-developed academic programs.” Of particular emphasis is the relationship between English and Arabic, especially as it pertains to developing technologies like AI.
“Together with Al Akhawayn University, we are expanding opportunities for collaborative research, reimagining Arabic studies, and contributing to the ethical evolution of artificial intelligence, Dr. Tod Laursen, chancellor of AUS, said, according to Morocco World News. “This partnership is rooted in culture, guided by purpose, and focused on global impact.”
While AI is still in its infancy, with many experts saying its true potential has yet to be realized, scientists, academics, and lawmakers are acting quickly to set guardrails in anticipation of its potentially revolutionary impact. The European Union was among the first regulatory bodies to set a standard with its EU AI Act, which takes a risk-based approach to various AI technologies.
It prohibits some high-risk practices with sweeping social consequences — social scoring systems, predictive policing, biometric identification systems, and vulnerability-targeting systems, for instance. Other use cases — like employment recruiting systems, medical device applications, education systems, critical-service access, and civics applications — are allowed but heavily regulated.
The act also establishes rules and standards for general-purpose and specialized AI systems across risk categories, including delineating responsibility for regulatory compliance.
While the EU handles regulations for its 27 member countries, the April partnership between Arabic universities comes at the right time as Gulf countries surge forward on technology development. A major branch of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s economic development plans, Arabic AI faces development challenges, but with international businesses and technologists invested in overcoming them, the onus is on academics and regulators to establish ethical guardrails ahead of its deployment.
“We are delighted to launch this collaboration with AUS. It continues our founding vision — one that is rooted in cultural identity and enriched through cross-cultural exchange,” said AUI President Dr. Amine Bensaid, according to Gulf News. “We aim to prepare graduates who bridge technology and cultural understanding.