Backed by PM Barzani, Specialist Proposes AI Ministry to Transform Kurdistan's Governance

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert with twelve years of professional and training experience has proposed a comprehensive strategic project for the next cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The centerpiece of the proposal is the establishment of an independent Ministry for Technology and AI. 

Bahar Amedi, a specialist in technology and artificial intelligence with twelve years of experience in professional work and training, told Kurdistan24 that she has presented a comprehensive strategic project for the future cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The core of the proposal is the establishment of an independent Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence, aimed at reshaping governance through data, research, and digital systems.

Amedi said she previously presented this strategic vision in a formal meeting with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, where she received governmental support, underscoring her readiness to assume any responsibility so that Kurdistan relies not only on oil, but on intellect and knowledge as engines of growth.

Amedi also noted that in the current era, the power of nations is no longer measured only by weapons and natural resources, but by knowledge and artificial intelligence, which she described as the primary foundations of national security and economic growth. She stressed that the Kurdistan Region must become one of the key actors in the global digital sphere.

Her project calls for the creation of a specialized ministry in the new cabinet to ensure that administrative and strategic decisions are based on data and scientific research. The proposed ministry would be tasked with designing a roadmap for a digital government, in which technology serves vital sectors such as health, agriculture, and education, providing comprehensive facilitation for citizens and marking a historic shift in governance models.

Amedi also warned that artificial intelligence without law and ethics could become a dangerous tool. She called on the government to establish a formal ethical framework for AI that protects citizens’ data privacy and human dignity.

The project proposes the creation of a special court or a high judicial committee to punish those who misuse synthetic technology to create fake images and videos, commit identity theft, or undermine social peace. She said classical legal systems cannot address the complexities of the technological revolution, and that strict penalties must serve as a guarantee to protect society from harmful uses of AI.

One of the most sensitive pillars of the proposal is the protection of Kurdish identity and language in the digital world. Amedi called for the creation of a national data and Kurdish language bank in all dialects, so that global systems such as ChatGPT and Google AI can accurately represent Kurdish culture. She said this step would prevent the erosion of national identity in the digital sphere and ensure that future generations can interact with AI in their mother tongue.

The project also calls for the integration of programming and artificial intelligence into the education system from the foundational stages, in order to build a society that is aware and prepared for the future.