Libya’s upcoming AI strategies will improve public services       

Libya has unveiled upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) plans that will aid its industries, according to the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on June 3rd. 

In line with the National Technology Day celebrations in Tripoli, the country has launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2026–2030.

A range of benefits will arise from the new AI schemes. Libya anticipates that it will help strengthen public services, its economy and the government’s effectiveness.

This initiative has been supported by Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is a firm advocate for AI’s potential. 

Libya has high aspirations for the upcoming strategies, with one aim being to allow 80% of government institutions to use artificial intelligence systems.

Additionally, the initiative would provide online identities to 70% of the population, improving identification systems.

Another aim from the country is to enable training for 10,000 public sector workers, which would make the scheme more accessible. Therefore, this would help support 100 AI start-ups and digitise up to 70% of paper documents.

Besides the promising features of the scheme, concerns have been raised about the impact of AI in several areas, with the environment expected to be deeply affected.

Artificial intelligence releases high carbon emissions and large amounts of electronic waste. Another environmental concern is the quantity of water it uses.

AI data centres use trillions of litres of water to cool their systems, which poses a threat to future generations. The amount of safe drinking water available is expected to decrease. 

Furthermore, some Libyans are concerned with data protection, as modern systems hold highly sensitive information; individuals expressed concern over their data being leaked. 

However, the Libyan government has planned ways to prevent these threats by advocating for a national AI ethics charter, which promotes the safe and fair use of the new scheme.

The charter emphasises that humans must remain the centre of AI systems, as the technology should support, not replace, individuals. This emphasis has been stressed in areas such as healthcare, security and the justice system. 

The North Africa Post and agencies, Maghrebi.org