Academic research on Libya’s AI readiness identifies a critical skills shortage as the primary barrier to AI advancement. A survey of 314 academic staff across Libyan universities found that data protection and privacy concerns rank highest among obstacles, but shortage of AI specialists and experts ranks immediately second.
The National Artificial Intelligence Policy acknowledges this gap and commits to developing skilled professionals through government initiatives, but implementation mechanisms remain unspecified. Demand for data scientists, machine learning engineers, and AI specialists currently outpaces available talent.
Published by: Academic researchers surveying Libyan higher education institutions; policy analysis from Digital Watch Observatory and international AI regulation research.
Key finding: 314 survey respondents from Libyan universities identified skills shortage as a critical systemic constraint; demand for AI specialists exceeds available supply.
Context: This discourse demonstrates Libya recognizes the AI knowledge divide but lacks institutional capacity to address it systematically. Without binding workforce training obligations and funding guarantees, the gap between policy intent and actual capability development will widen as AI adoption accelerates.