AI Everything Cairo: Capgemini And Egypt's Moment On The Global AI Stage

[00:00:04] Welcome back to the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Now, 10 years ago, I launched this podcast with a simple mission. I wanted to shine a light on the difference that technology was making to real people around the world. I never wanted the show to be just another outlet spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt about fear about job losses, automation panic or machines taking over. There's enough of that stuff out there already.

[00:00:32] What I wanted to try and do was restore the balance in the universe and show the positivity that technology can bring. So I set out to tell stories about what happens when technology brings people together. I wanted to share voices from everywhere, not just from Silicon Valley. And over the past decade, I featured guests from more than 60 different countries and broadcast those conversations to, I think, more than 165 countries.

[00:01:00] I was curious if the stats that tell me where you're all listening are to be believed. And that global perspective has always mattered to me. So when one of the biggest buzzwords this year, I think I first saw it at CES last year and CES this year, the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, that is, was the phrase AI everywhere.

[00:01:22] I found myself, is AI everywhere. Is AI everywhere? Is AI truly everywhere? Or is it still concentrated in a handful of tech capitals? So when I was invited to attend an event called AI Everything Middle Eastern Africa in Cairo, it felt like a perfect opportunity to find out.

[00:01:44] If AI is creating opportunities in the land of the world. If AI is creating opportunities in the land of the pharaohs beside the Nile, in a country that many people still associate first with history rather than high technology, then maybe I can prove with confidence that AI really is everywhere.

[00:02:01] And then I arrived. I entered the summit in Cairo, surrounded by policymakers, global tech giants, startups, and more than 200 venture capitalists. Not to mention more than 350 AI-focused companies that filled the exhibition halls. And one of the things I learned early on in my trip is Egypt is currently the only African country ranked in the global top tier for AI and machine learning competitiveness.

[00:02:31] And you could actually feel that ambition on the show floor. I was surrounded by conversations around infrastructure, national strategies, language models built in Arabic, AI tutors for students, healthcare diagnostics developed locally. And you know the most exciting part of all this? It was young engineers building real solutions. But the most powerful moment for me was even more personal.

[00:02:57] Because after I stepped off stage, after moderating a panel, a senior front-end developer from Capgemini stopped me and asked for a quick photo. Before long, we were talking around hackathons, seeing the rise of women in tech, women developers that were participating, the pride that she clearly displayed watching Egypt host a platform of this scale. And within minutes of meeting her, I knew that this was exactly why I travelled to events like this.

[00:03:25] It's not for the headlines or quick stories. It's for the people. So what began as a quick conversation would go on to become her first ever podcast appearance. And there's a great story behind us meeting as well. So today, you're going to hear from someone right on the ground in Cairo about what AI everywhere really means to her, to Egypt, and most importantly, to a generation of more than 750,000 graduates that are entering the workforce every year.

[00:03:53] So if AI is everywhere, then it should look like this. It should look like possibility. It should look like inclusion. It should look like opportunity. But again, enough scene setting from me. Let me beam your ears all the way to Cairo, where I will officially introduce you to my guest today. So thank you for joining me on the podcast today.

[00:04:19] We first met at the AI Everything event in Cairo. But for everyone listening, hearing about you for the first time, can you tell them a little about who you are and what you do? Hello, it's Ala Ali. I'm a front-end developer based in Egypt. And for those who don't know what front-end developers do, we are responsible for everything that's interactive and the layout and what you see and interact with the website or app.

[00:04:48] So it's like if you are in a restaurant or something, it's like you see the menu, the tables, the atmosphere. So this is what we do. I've been in front-end developer for 10 years. I work with corporate companies like Voice and currently I'm working at Capgemini. Awesome. And as I said, we met AI everywhere in Egypt. I was moderating a panel. You came and saw me afterwards. But what was it that brought you to the event?

[00:05:18] What did the event mean to you? Because it was the first one, wasn't it? Yes, it's the first time it held in Egypt. But I came to this AI as invited as a mentor because the Capgemini was partnering with the AI, everything for a hackathon. But when I joined this event, I feel like I need to connect and learn more about the AI. And I was so happy seeing some panels and also seeing you in the end.

[00:05:47] So I take the advantage to waiting for you to finish the stage and say hi. I never imagined that we were making this podcast together. But yeah, this is so huge to me. Thank you for this chance. No, thank you. And that's the reason I go to these events. I love meeting people, not just businesses and enterprises and leaders, etc.

[00:06:14] But I love just hearing from people on the ground there in a different country. We hear so many different stories and tech stories inside of Silicon Valley, but not too many outside. So going somewhere like Cairo that people don't automatically associate with technology and learning about what's happening there. That's the kind of stuff that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning.

[00:06:34] And one of the things that I learned in the time that I spent there was that Egypt is the only African country ranked in the global top tier for AI and machine learning competitiveness. So what did the event mean to you? Yeah, it was a very broad moment for me, like having this skill shows in Egypt. And it's like there is many opportunities for others to see and learn about our capabilities here for Egypt.

[00:07:01] Yeah, as you mentioned also that seeing people, it's always in West, not in Egypt with talents. So it's like a window for us to say and talk about what we can achieve and what we have. And I also, for me, I was very surprised because as I was mentoring the hackathon, I see the young professionals doing AI.

[00:07:28] And they also encourage me more to dive deep about this AI and how it will change our future, how it shapes it. Wow. It was like a lot of things that came to my mind through this when I was in this event. Yeah, me too. And it was great seeing firsthand some of that what was happening on the hackathon. I'd love to talk about that a little bit more in a moment.

[00:07:54] But if we look at the AI Everything MEA event, one of the things that stood out to me is it brought together policymakers, global tech giants, startups and over 200 venture capitalists as well. It felt to me from the outside looking in, it felt like a real movement is going on here. Would you agree with that? Absolutely. You can feel the momentum. It's not just talk and collaboration happening.

[00:08:21] And it's also like if you see like I think it's shrink the gap between the startups and the people that will like invest. Because me, I also had the chance to attend some talks. And I see what investors think and what they need from the startups or from individuals to do and invest in themselves. So, somehow, like I see how their mindsets and what things happen. So, yeah, yeah.

[00:08:50] I feel like they shrink the gap if we're all in the same place and here in each other. And Egypt's national AI strategy, something that caught my attention here is it emphasizes responsible adoption and most importantly of all, I think, inclusive digital development. And I wanted to talk to you a little about women in tech, especially in Egypt.

[00:09:13] Because one of the things that I loved about your booth when I stopped by, it was quickly apparent, was the number of women developers at your hackathon there. Incredible to see. But what was your secret? Because here in Egypt, like I see the secret of the women itself. They want to improve themselves. They don't want like to say we have a struggle. So, an obstacle we don't learn to overcome.

[00:09:36] And we also have really role models that when I was younger, I see women in tech and working in many corporate. Even my manager here in the job is a woman. So, I always see these role models and I know that I have a space to innovate and be visible. So, yes. So, this is maybe the secret. Yeah.

[00:10:00] And also, I mean, in the country, there's more than 750,000 university graduates entering the workforce every year. So, how can events like this ensure that talent is absorbed into real AI-driven opportunities in Egypt? Because there's a lot of talk of AI replacing people. But when you go to events like this, you don't get that feeling. You get the feeling there's a lot of opportunity for young people too, right? Yes, exactly. Even this bridge, the gap between academia and industry.

[00:10:30] And as you mentioned, I also noticed that AI, never going to, I don't want to say never, but I feel like it won't replace us. Because I see that the need of human touch to create the AI and create solutions and be more creative. So, this brings opportunity also for people, for me that already have many experts here in the field. That's okay.

[00:10:56] There is room to invest in myself and room to understand what's the problems and how AI make it easier. So, if the AI or the new technology doesn't bring the solution, so it was that point. So, I guess it's doing this bridge. So, yes. Yeah, it really is. And I think one of the things that most people think when they're scrolling down their news feeds is that AI is often framed as a Silicon Valley or East Asia story maybe.

[00:11:26] But what does it mean for the global AI landscape that Cairo is hosting a platform at this scale? And how do you think it could reshape the flow of capital partnerships and influence across Africa and, indeed, the Middle East? I think it's shifting the narrative that innovative is not only for a few regions. And I hope that this event brings more investors to Egypt.

[00:11:53] And, like, if they see our talents, as I mentioned before, that they will know that we all don't only about technicals. There are also languages. I noticed that we have people, yeah, they are Egyptian, but they're fluent in English, German, and French. So, maybe we'll bring more investments to Egypt. So, it's very, very – I'm very, very proud of how we here in Egypt have this skill. I wasn't surprised myself, but I'm very proud, too.

[00:12:22] So, there on the show floor, you had the Capgemini booth. It was a big booth as well. You got plenty of room there. What were you showcasing at the event from your work perspective? Okay, because Capgemini here, it's in Egypt. It's open recently for, like, three years, but it's well-known outside Egypt. So, we were showing our talents, and also we will have a hackathon, as I mentioned.

[00:12:48] So, that's why it was so huge, because we were invited six teams, and they were talking about giving solutions in tourism using the AI. So, we had hosted before the hackathon, how to say, a session. We will bring someone from the tourism sector, and they will explain what the pains –

[00:13:12] because, you know, Egypt is a very, like, care about tourism, and we have also points that we need to approve. So, we bring these problems and ask them to find the solutions. But because it's an AI-related event, so we needed to have an AI solutions. They came up with very creative – I wanted to like to see this, but, yeah, they will have very creative ideas.

[00:13:40] And my goal was, like, guiding them through how to make the UI, how it looks, and how to have a better user experience. It was really, really fun. We share – they, yes, young professionals, but they have a lot of information about AI. So, we, like, share our experience. Everyone is field. So, it was a huge knowledge share. And there was a very busy booth, as well.

[00:14:09] There's always people crowding around. There was always something going on. And I'm curious, from all the people that were stopping by, if you put in all the questions that you were asked and everything that was going on in the booth, what did you want people to walk away with from anyone that visited you and your team there? Yes, to see that AI maybe – it's not that scary that you see if even if AI exists, we still have young professionals that they invest their time to have more opportunities.

[00:14:39] So – and how these solutions make life better. So, this is the most message that I want everyone to understand. And on a personal level, when you drove back home and left thinking about the event, what were you reflecting on when you, I don't know, thought about all those different conversations you had with so many different people from all around the world? What did you take home with you?

[00:15:08] What were you thinking about? Proud and sense of possibilities. I like seeing so many passionate people in one place. Remind me that Egypt's journey is just like we are aiming to make the future bright. Yes, proud and sense of possibilities. Excellent. And finally, for anyone listening, maybe they want to learn more about yourself, Capgemini, anything we talked about.

[00:15:37] If they wanted to find out more information about upcoming events and, I don't know, any announcements or the kind of work you're doing. Anywhere you'd like me to point everyone listening so they can keep up to speed with everything that's happening with you, Capgemini, and indeed Egypt and the Egyptian tech scene. For me, yeah, we can connect with us on LinkedIn and official websites. I'm always open to conversations, collaboration, and sharing ideas.

[00:16:04] Maybe I will share with you my LinkedIn so we can have it for everyone. Brilliant. Yeah, I will add a link to that along with Capgemini and everything else. I would urge anyone listening, if you're interested in anything we talked about today, I'm going to include a lot of links around the event as well because I think it's something we really need to publicize and shine a light on. One of the reasons I started this podcast was to shine a light on stories outside of Silicon Valley.

[00:16:30] So go over to the show notes in this episode or go to my website, techtalksnetwork.com. There will be a blog post associated with this episode and you'll find all the links and maybe a few videos there too. But more than anything, just thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and share your perspective on this event too. Thank you, Neil, for this chance and opportunity. I really appreciate it. And maybe I will just worry about and have stutter in some answer because this is my first podcast ever.

[00:16:59] I do, but it was really fun and you make it feel fun. And I really appreciate that chance. So thank you. So what does AI everywhere mean after spending three days in Cairo? For me, it means something different from the headlines. It's not a slogan. It's not hype. It's not a distant future. It's actually policymakers embedding AI into public services.

[00:17:23] It's engineers building national language models like Carnac that's tailored to local needs. It's healthcare tools trained on local data to detect disease earlier. It's hackathon teams solving tourism challenges with machine learning. It's young women in tech booths confidently mentoring the next wave of developers. And one of the things that would always stay with me after the event was my guest today.

[00:17:51] She told me how proud and full of possibility that filled her as she left the event. And those words will stay with me long after these episodes. Possibility, not fear, not replacement. And over the last decade, I've seen firsthand technology stories unfold across continents. But my time in Cairo reminded me why I started this podcast in the first place.

[00:18:18] Technology becomes even more powerful when it meaningfully connects people, when it opens doors, when it opens confidence, when it proves that innovation is not reserved just for a few regions in the world. So yeah, AI is often framed as a Silicon Valley story or possibly an East Asia story. But what I witnessed in Egypt suggests something larger is happening. Capital is beginning to flow differently.

[00:18:45] Partnerships are forming across Africa and the Middle East. Talent is clearly visible. Voices are confident. And when a developer tells me firsthand that she sees space to innovate, to lead and to mentor others, that tells me that the story is shifting. So if AI can thrive beside the Nile, if it can inspire pride in Cairo,

[00:19:10] it clearly can also empower a new generation of graduates to see opportunity rather than threats. And perhaps, maybe, just maybe, prove that AI really is everywhere. But the final question I've got to ask each and every one of you listening is, what does AI everywhere look like where you are? And what part are you playing in helping to shape it?

[00:19:36] As I said, I know this podcast gets listeners in 165 countries, even had a couple in Greenland. And wherever you're listening in the world, I want to shine a light on where you live. I want to share your voice with the world too. So please, get in touch with me. Pop over to techtalksnetwork.com. You can leave me an audio message. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Whatever it is you'd like to do. Just let me know. Gladly pass the microphone over to you.

[00:20:04] But on that note, a massive thank you to my guest for being so gracious in accepting my invitation to join me on the podcast today, sharing her story and an even bigger thank you to each and every one of you for tuning in, listening and listening right to the end. And if you enjoyed yourself, stick around. I'll be back again tomorrow with another guest. And hopefully I will speak with you all then. Bye for now.