Egyptian Charter for Responsible AI (v1.0)

This is a voluntary ethical guidance document, not enacted legislation. The Egyptian Charter for Responsible AI (version 1.0) was launched in 2023 by the National Council for Artificial Intelligence under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). It is Egypt's interpretation of international responsible- and ethical-AI guidelines, adapted to the local context, and provides actionable guidance for the responsible development, deployment, management and use of AI systems. It has no binding legal force; it is a charter of principles and recommended practices rather than a statute creating enforceable obligations. The Charter is built around five core principles for developing and implementing AI: human-centred design (AI should serve and protect human interests and wellbeing); transparency (AI systems and their decision-making should be explainable and understandable); justice/fairness (AI should avoid unfair bias and discrimination and promote equitable outcomes); accountability (clear allocation of responsibility for AI outcomes and mechanisms for redress); and security/safety (AI systems should be robust, safe and protected against misuse). These principles closely reflect the OECD AI Principles and UNESCO's ethics guidance, adapted to Egypt's needs. The Charter is intended to support policymakers and organisations in managing AI responsibly while protecting rights and promoting public trust. It indicates that government AI projects should be commissioned and supervised by MCIT to ensure compliance with the guidelines and to safeguard the credibility and quality of the data and developers involved. While voluntary, the Charter functions as a reference point for responsible-AI practice in Egypt and has been integrated into the governance framework of the second edition of Egypt's National AI Strategy (2025 - 2030). It complements Egypt's data protection regime, with Personal Data Protection Law No. 151 of 2020 governing personal data used in AI systems. Readers should treat the Charter as aspirational ethical guidance that signals expected norms and government expectations, particularly for public-sector AI, but does not itself impose legally enforceable duties. The exact 2023 publication date was not pinned during drafting and should be confirmed on verification.

1. 1Voluntary responsible-AI guidance launched in 2023 by the National Council for AI under MCIT.
2. 2Adapts international ethical-AI frameworks (OECD, UNESCO) to Egypt's local context with actionable guidance.
3. 3Built on five core principles: human-centred design, transparency, justice/fairness, accountability, and security/safety.
4. 4Indicates government AI projects should be commissioned and supervised by MCIT to ensure compliance.
5. 5Integrated into the governance framework of Egypt's National AI Strategy second edition (2025 - 2030).
6. 6Complements Personal Data Protection Law No. 151 of 2020 for personal-data governance.
7. 7No binding legal force, a charter of principles and recommended practices.