Egypts Education System Navigates the AI Revolution

In a bustling Cairo café, a group of secondary school students huddles around a laptop, excitedly exploring their new study companion: ChatGPT. This scene is becoming increasingly common across Egypt, as the AI chatbot, launched in late 2022, rapidly integrates into the educational landscape, sparking both enthusiasm and anxiety.

The AI Wave Hits Egyptian Classrooms

Despite not being officially available in Egypt at first, tech-savvy students quickly found ways to access ChatGPT. Its appeal is undeniable—it can generate essays, summarize texts, and solve complex problems in seconds. For a nation with over 25 million students, the potential disruption is immense.

“AI is a fact of life. You can love it or hate it, but it is here—and it is here to stay,” states Rola Hussein, an IGCSE English literature teacher in Cairo. “The only safe way around it is proper training.” Hussein integrates AI through guided activities like idea generation and practice questions, followed by in-class assignments that demand students' independent thinking.

Students are also adapting. Yassin*, a ninth-grader, notes that homework now takes minutes instead of hours, freeing up time for socializing and sports. However, he admits some classmates “lean on it too much when no adult is watching.”

Students Navigate an Ethical AI Playbook

For some, like Grade 10 student Omar*, the chatbot serves as a coach rather than a ghost-writer. “I treat ChatGPT like a study partner, not a writer,” he explains. “I ask it to break down a topic, quiz me with new questions, or point out gaps in my outline, then I write everything myself.”

Omar has developed his own ethical guidelines: he creates a pen-and-paper outline before using any AI tool, verifies facts in textbooks, and acknowledges his use of AI in a concluding note. New classroom policies, such as more in-class writing and oral follow-ups, reinforce this approach. “If I cannot explain my work, I lose marks,” he adds. “That forces me to understand, not just produce.”

Tech Giants Weigh In on Responsible AI Use

Technology companies argue that AI, when used responsibly, can be a powerful learning aid.

Dalia Elfiki of Google MENA says, “Every day we see students using Gemini and our other AI-powered tools like Search or YouTube for help with their homework... The key to getting the most from AI—like any technology—is knowing how to use it responsibly, ethically and effectively as a learning tool.”

Elfiki emphasizes that Google’s AI features are designed to promote critical thinking, not replace it. She points out that Google has enabled sign-in for children under 13 on its Gemini Apps, with parental management available through Family Link.

However, the spread of AI has raised serious concerns about academic integrity. Tarek Shawky, Egypt’s former education minister, had previously estimated the cheating rate in pre-university exams at around 85 percent, even before AI became a significant factor. When used constructively, teachers find AI can support differentiated learning and save time, but clear school policies are essential.

Charting the Future of AI in Egyptian Education

On 15 May 2025, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi directed the government to explore making AI a mandatory school subject. By August 2025, it was reported that the Ministry of Education would introduce an AI course for first-year secondary students.

Currently, Egypt’s Ministry of Education has not issued specific nationwide regulations on student AI use. This has left individual schools and teachers to establish their own rules. Some have updated academic honesty policies to classify uncredited AI work as plagiarism, while others, like Al-Azhar institutes, have taken a more conservative stance.

The Ministry is focused on the bigger picture of improving AI infrastructure and skills. On 23 August, Minister of Education Mohamed Abdel-Latif emphasized training educators, stating the goal is to empower teachers, not replace them. The government has distributed free tablets to facilitate e-learning and is developing an AI-powered online education platform.

As the students in the café pack up, their conversation captures the essence of this new era. “It saves time, but you have to use it right,” one says, “or you’re only cheating yourself.”

Names changed because of minor status.