Digital Transformation of Research in Algeria

Mapping the Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Academic Environment

Résumé

This study presents the first empirical mapping of artificial intelligence (AI) use in Algerian academic research. Based on a cross-sectional survey conducted among 102 university researchers, the study reveals a structural paradox: despite a high AI adoption rate, exceeding international averages, uses remain essentially superficial, concentrated on linguistic assistance at the expense of advanced analytical applications. The analysis identifies three major structural barriers: lack of ethical training, institutional vacuum, and vulnerabilities in data management. The results also highlight the marginalization of national languages (standard Arabic, dialect, Tamazight) in favor of French and English, creating a tension between awareness of digital sovereignty issues and accepted technological dependence. The study proposes strategic recommendations articulated at three intervention levels (micro–, meso–, macro–) to promote sovereign and ethical appropriation of AI, including the development of integrated training, the development of institutional charters, and the creation of local infrastructures adapted to the Algerian linguistic and cultural context