Algeria has announced its first national strategy for research and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), aimed at building a society of innovation and a generation of digitally skilled citizens. The strategy aims to “improve Algerian skills in AI through education, training and research and to strengthen these capacities as a tool for development.

Professor Mokhtar Sellami, the director in charge of science, technology and innovation at the National Council for Scientific Research and Technologies told University World News that the AI strategy will encourage graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to develop applications in bioinformatics. Applications for big data, machine learning, autonomous systems, computer vision and intelligent decision support systems for socio-economic sectors are also envisioned. The strategy further includes support to AI start-ups for innovation, he said.

Artificial Intelligence market worth $190.61 Billion by 2025, and will contribute to the global GDP by nearly 25.5% of about $13 Trillion in the future. To benefit from this advantage and join the worldwide AI national programmes,   the minister of higher education and scientific research launched  the Algerian strategic plan, on 1-2 december 2019, at Constantine.  « We expect results that strengthen the place of artificial intelligence in the lives of our citizens. This requires the promotion of national capacities in the fields of training, education and research, on the one hand, and that artificial intelligence will promote  economic development and gives to the socio-economic sector the means to remove the obstacles to the digital transformation underway, on the other hand », said the minister. During this workshop attented by more than 200 stakeholders,  conferences and presentations were made by senior experts on the AI strategies over the world,  the national capacities (scientific production, human ressources,  licences, masters and Ph.D training, main national conférences in AI) and the existing infrastructures (research laboratories, HPC centres, network).  The minister express the algerian government commitment to the national plan.  Parallel sessions were organized in 5 tracks :

Track1 Automated Reasoning and Machine Learning, President: Prof. Hamamache KHEDDOUCI (University of Lyon I) : This part deals with fundamental approaches to representation and resolution problems whether by rules-based approaches (symbolic AI), statistics, or based on machine learning (digital AI). Certainly, in recent years, the different neural network architectures whose Deep Learning attracts efforts of researchers for applications that cover all areas of life human but different other themes are important including more developments in the field of data-based AI hybridization and that which uses levels of reasoning to arrive at an explanation of the results of recommendations, classifications, predictions, etc. ; a hybridization called cognitive technology.
When it comes to digital AI (statistical or machine learning based), also think of approaches to obtain validated sectoral data, which would allow the development of reliable and useful research. Various themes can be mentioned here, without their list being exhaustive (like this will be the case for the other tracks below).
Themes discussed: - Knowledge Management; Fuzzy Logic; Fuzzy Systems; Neural Networks; Deep Learning; Convolutional Neural Networks; Recurrent, - Neural Networks; Convolutional Generative Networks; Adversarial Networks; - Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Networks; Capsule Networks; Data Mining, - Genetic Algorithms and Meta-Heuristics

Track2 :  Networking and Infrastructures in the AI Context,  President: Prof. Omar BOUSSAID (University of Lyon) : In this track it is a question of covering various aspects of AI and its interactions with themes linked to data transmission networks. The Internet offers immense applications but also, more recently, the concepts of Blockchain, cloud computing, High Performance Computing, Internet of Things (IoT), etc. So it is about thinking about infrastructures that will be able to support training and research in AI as well as the development of applications for all sectors. Security aspects in this context are of course crucial.
Themes discussed: -Internet of Things (Iot); Big Data; Blockchain; Infrastructures and Cloud Computing; High Performance Computing (HPC); Cyber Security; Network ; Optimization; Smart cities; Intelligent Networks, 5G, etc.

Track3 :  Computer Vision,  President : Prof. Abdelkader BENYETTOU (University of UST-Oran) : An important area of AI is computer vision. Analysis and recognition of images and videos and hence the field of virtual reality and augmented reality, have very important applications in all fields (medicine, science and technology, tourism, etc.) as well as in training in these various fields.
Themes discussed: - Image Processing; - Image Recognition; - Facial Recognition; - Medical Imaging; - Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality, - Biometrics, etc.

Track4 :  Speech and Language Processing,  President : Prof. Mokhtar SELLAMI (University of Annaba) : Automatic Processing of Natural Language (TALN), in text and speech, saw a progressing development, especially with applications related to massive content from the Internet, social networks, mobile applications, etc. It is a domain that can allow the development of applications and startups enough quickly with a certain return on investment (RoI). Let R & D focus on the information retrieval, automatic summary, automatic translation, virtual assistants, or others, a lot can be done in this field, and its related applications. Themes discussed: Information Retrieval; Text Summarization; Machine Translation; Automatic Speech Recognition; Voice Recognition; Speech Synthesis; Virtual Assistants

Track 5: AI Applications : President : Dr. Brahim BOUZOUIA (Research centre CDTA) : AI is by definition synonymous with applications in all areas of life human. Therefore, it is a question of thinking about R & amp; D while thinking of the socio-national economic priorities.