AI Shapes the World, But Kurdistan Stands on Sidelines

[Anthea]

Kurdistan Stands on the Sidelines

As AI reshapes the World

Kurdistan has not integrated into the world of artificial intelligence in any sector

The world, due to the invention of “Artificial Intelligence,” which is referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is heading toward a major transformation.

A researcher in the field of artificial intelligence says “The Kurdish society is outside these global transformations happening today.”

Dr. Shadman Aziz Karim, a researcher at Alliant International University in San Diego, California, USA, in defining artificial intelligence, said:

“Artificial Intelligence is a set of mathematical algorithms that, through a computer or computer software, process these mathematical algorithms to think like a human brain; these softwares think in place of humans, or like humans.”

Shadman mentions that artificial intelligence has been a topic of work for a while and that most studies trace back to the 1960s in the UK and the USA. But he says back then, it could not produce anything significant. He added:

Shadman also explains that artificial intelligence is called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which came after human inventions, and after this, humanity cannot make any other invention without using artificial intelligence. Every other innovation will be possible because of artificial intelligence, as intelligent systems have reasoning, speed, and prediction capabilities far beyond human intellectual capacity. He said:

“Now artificial intelligence is being used and applied in all fields—from industry, trade, and company management to health, education, media, and the military. For example, an online buyer today has access to many options, unlike before when you would go to a shop and only find two or three choices. And now, you don’t even need a bank card physically; instead, you can pay and shop directly through your phone.”

Shadman points out that the dominant companies in the world today are those producing artificial intelligence, most of them being American, Chinese, Korean, Russian, or European companies that generate data. He adds that this explains why Kurdistan is left outside the global transformations of today. He said:

“Artificial intelligence is moving forward with or without us; whether we like it or not, it will continue. For a person to be part of this system, they must start now to understand it and benefit from it.”

He also said that “The world is heading toward a very big change, while Kurdish society is outside these global transformations—not only has it not prepared itself, but now the world is completely occupied by this technology, while Kurdish society still does not understand it.

Kurdistan has not been able to integrate into the world of artificial intelligence in any field—neither in trade, industry, agriculture, education, military, nor any other area—it remains outside these transformations.”

Despite this, in Kurdistan today, artificial intelligence is being used in some fields in a basic way.

Ari Mustafa, a graphic designer, points out that in this era of new technology, if you want to do your daily work faster than before, you must use artificial intelligence. He said:

“Using artificial intelligence saves you time and gets your work done more efficiently.”

He also said “Artificial intelligence has had a huge impact, not only on manual work but has replaced many different professions and jobs. Now it even does brain work—for example, graphic design. Previously, a graphic designer would do this work, but now by writing some text, you can get a very good result.”

Similarly, Shadan Shwan, a software engineer, discussing the advancements of artificial intelligence, points out that the world is experiencing a surprising leap forward, and artificial intelligence is appearing more and more in every aspect of life day by day.

He said”Artificial intelligence today is smarter than humans, but it is still under human control because humans are the reason for its creation and guidance. However, the danger lies if it develops without limits, reaching an unknown and unpredictable stage.”

Regarding the dangers of artificial intelligence, Shadan said “There are many risks—for example, unemployment, spreading false or fake information, using it for surveillance and controlling all aspects of human life and personality.”

This comes at a time when there is a huge gap in how artificial intelligence is produced and used between developed and underdeveloped countries, with Kurdistan and Iraq being among the underdeveloped ones.

Adel Shaswari, an assistant professor at the University of Sulaimani, says that overall, Kurdish society is still not ready for artificial intelligence because AI requires strong technological and economic infrastructure, specific laws, data protection, ethics, local expertise, and social awareness, most of which are not at the required level in Kurdistan.

He said “The policy of this region in the last 11 years—from 2014 to 2025—has not been about saying ‘we are living in the era of artificial intelligence,’ but rather we are still focused on basic survival issues; we are far from artificial intelligence.”

He also said “Currently, artificial intelligence in Kurdistan is at an early stage and has little formal and strategic importance. There are some AI projects (at Salahaddin University and the University of Sulaimani), such as presenting conferences, seminars, and workshops, as well as some small projects and efforts to raise awareness about the role of AI in the future, with some limited financial support, but not like in developed countries. There are also Kurdish companies working in AI, but their capabilities are still very limited, and AI has not yet become a national priority.”

Shaswari points out that AI is still a tool under human control. Humans design it, train it, and set its goals. However, if a very intelligent system is created whose goals do not align with human goals, it could cause great harm to humanity—for example, like nuclear weapons or cyberattacks.

He said “It could automatically search for weak points in systems and, at the same time, carry out thousands of precise and complex attacks, much faster than humans. AI could create fake videos and voices of leaders or officials to spread propaganda, and AI-powered viruses and malware could change themselves when they detect an antivirus system, making them very hard to stop.”