AI could offer Tunisia an opportunity to renew social pact

TUNIS, Dec. 24 (TAP/APP) : Artificial intelligence (AI) can represent for Tunisia an opportunity to renew the social pact around a shared ambition: placing intelligence, in all its forms, at the service of the common good and of a national collective intelligence. This is the conclusion of a study published by the Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies (ITES).
According to the study, entitled “Artificial Intelligence, a Lever for the Social Role of the State,” AI represents a major opportunity to accelerate a country’s socio-economic development.
The social role of the State refers to all the responsibilities and actions it undertakes to guarantee collective well-being, reduce social inequalities, protect the most vulnerable, and ensure equitable access to essential services.
This is reflected in interventions in key areas such as education, health, basic foodstuffs, employment, energy, transport and mobility, among others.
This social role includes several key dimensions, notably social protection, which aims to shield citizens from life’s risks (illness, unemployment, old age, poverty); access to fundamental rights such as healthcare, education, housing, employment, and telecommunications networks; and the redistribution of wealth to rebalance economic and social disparities.
It also covers market regulation and working conditions to preserve workers’ dignity and safety; the promotion of social inclusion by combating discrimination and facilitating the integration of marginalized individuals; digital inclusion; and social and territorial cohesion by ensuring balanced regional development and preventing social fractures.
The social role of the State thus serves as a cornerstone of the social pact between citizens, helping strengthen trust and democratic stability.
“In vital sectors such as health, agriculture, education, energy, and transport and mobility, AI can transform traditional practices, improve service quality, and optimize resource efficiency. These sectors are strategic for the country’s growth and the well-being of its population.”
As a structuring technology, AI can either amplify existing social imbalances or help correct them if conceived as a tool for social justice.
The challenge for the State is therefore twofold: to support the integration of AI into public services while ensuring its accessibility, ethics, and social purpose, the study notes.
Tunisia must avoid becoming a mere consumer of foreign technologies
According to the study, in a geopolitical landscape where AI is a field of strategic competition among major powers, Tunisia must avoid becoming a mere consumer of foreign technologies and instead assert cognitive sovereignty.
This requires mastering data management, investing in its own computing infrastructure, and developing models adapted to its linguistic and cultural realities.
Without such efforts, the country would expose itself to increased dependence, digital vulnerability, and a loss of influence in shaping international standards.
The authors of the study believe that “in this global dynamic, Tunisia finds itself in a unique position. Its educated youth, scientific tradition, and entrepreneurial environment make it fertile ground for experimenting with human-centered AI models.”
Thus, “by mobilising its research institutions, startups, and civil society around a shared vision, the country could establish itself as a reference actor in designing inclusive, ethical, and context-appropriate tools, provided it develops policies that reverse the brain drain and the departure of startups.”
Such ambition requires a constant balance between openness and vigilance: drawing inspiration from international success stories while preserving local specificities; encouraging experimentation without losing sight of collective purpose, the document notes
AI does not replace political will, but it changes the conditions under which it is exercised. It offers institutions unprecedented analytical and operational capabilities, but in return demands greater responsibility in guiding progress. The transformation it initiates is above all human: it invites us to rethink how we design, debate, and learn together.