Asmara, 16 October 2026 – A panel discussion in connection with United Nations Day 2026 was held on 15 October at the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers Hall in Asmara under the title “AI and Eritrea’s Development Story”. The discussion was attended by representatives of ministries and national organizations, heads and representatives of UN offices in Eritrea, as well as Ambassadors and and members of the diplomatic community.

The panel discussion aimed to build capacity, strengthen visibility and shape the future. It explored how AI-enabled approaches could add practical value to Eritrea’s development priorities; how to balance opportunity, readiness and risk; how to strengthen national data, knowledge and language foundations; and what responsible, nationally led engagement with AI could look like.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Araya Zeray, Dean of Mai-Nefhi College of Science and Technology, said that, to benefit from AI, Eritrea must invest in its greatest resource, its youth; promote digital literacy; give due attention to science, technology, engineering and mathematics; align AI with the national context; and build an AI ecosystem that serves the Eritrean people and strengthens their voice on the world stage.

Ms. Nahla Valji, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea, said that discussions on AI should focus on how it can contribute to national development while remaining firmly grounded in human dignity, national priorities and local realities. She also said that AI does not automatically produce development. Its value will depend on whether it responds to real needs, whether the people using it have the skills to question its outputs and whether institutions can ensure accountability when it is wrong.

The participants held extensive discussions on the advantages and challenges of AI and proposed ideas to help address these challenges.