Iraq plans AI-focused colleges; Walmart powers up with AI

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Iraq has taken a giant leap toward the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), eyeing the launch of two colleges to deepen the local talent pool.

Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Naeem al-Aboudi has given a ministerial order to establish two colleges at the University of Baghdad. The two faculties—the College of Excellence and the College of Artificial Intelligence—are expected to begin operations in the 2025-2026 academic session.

Under the ministerial order, both colleges will integrate real-world AI applications in their curricula, with August 20 earmarked for the resolution of staffing and logistics. The order also directed the Directorate of Studies, Planning, and Follow-up to set up admission criteria for students’ intake before the start of the new academic year.

The College of Excellence will launch departments in applied information systems, data science, e-business management, philosophy, and sociology. Meanwhile, the College of Artificial Intelligence will provide advanced courses in engineering and biomedical applications.

Sarkawt Penjweni, Head of the Academy of Artificial Intelligence, hailed the move as key to generating a stream of AI talent for the fledgling digital ecosystem. 

While key ecosystem players have lauded the establishment of the college, mainstream AI adoption in Iraq is underwhelming compared to its regional peers. The absence of a clear framework for regulating AI service providers and crystal-clear long-term plans continues to stifle adoption.

Aware of its shortcomings, the Iraqi government is scrambling to unveil plans for the wholesale integration of AI across public services. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the High Committee for Artificial Intelligence are mulling the prospects of introducing AI capabilities in agriculture, water resources, and the education sectors.

Meanwhile, the plans include a scheme to attract skilled AI professionals from abroad to bolster key ranks in the private and public sectors. Amid the push for AI, Iraq is proceeding with its attempt at rolling out a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Middle East to record significant AI growth

Walmart transforming e-commerce with AI Agents

Elsewhere, Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) has announced plans to extend its AI capabilities by introducing “super agents” to improve customers’ experiences and keep pace with rivals.

The world’s largest retailer will launch four AI-powered agents to streamline operations. Each agent will cater to the needs of Walmart shoppers, employees, software developers, suppliers, and sellers.

The AI agent for customers, dubbed Sparky, is available for users of the Walmart app and offers a raft of features. The use cases extend beyond conventional chatbot functionality to include the ability to automatically reorder items, plan events, and generate recipes from a pool of available supplies.

Another agent, named Marty, manages supplier onboarding and ad campaigns, while the Associate supports employee processes, such as leave requests and scheduling. Meanwhile, the Developer is the agent for building and testing Walmart’s new AI tools.

Before launching AI agents, Walmart leaned on several generative AI functionalities for search and chat. The chatbots supported users with order tracking while offering suggestions for user queries.

Now, Walmart has disclosed that the new AI agents will replace its previous AI offerings as the retailer looks to turbocharge its growth. The company predicted that AI-assisted online sales will make up 50% of total sales by the decade’s end.

Several studies strongly advocate for AI integration in Walmart’s processes, citing efficiency and productivity perks. In addition to AI, Walmart is embracing blockchain and considering the prospects of digital goods and a potential stablecoin rollout.

Walmart is eyeing snagging customers from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), a retailer that has unveiled a slew of AI-based solutions for suppliers and customers. Last year, the company raked in $648 billion in annual sales, with analysts targeting a spike in the coming years following the wholesale embrace of emerging technologies.

Global retailers wade into AI to spike metrics

Walmart and Amazon are not the only retailers adopting AI for their internal processes. China-based Alibaba (NASDAQ: BABAF) previously announced a raft of AI functionalities, extending the offerings to suppliers on two of its flagship e-commerce platforms: Taobao and Tmall.

United States-based Target (NASDAQ: TGT) has also joined the AI arms race, unveiling a streak of solutions for users via personalized offers and demand forecasting. Sports apparel brand Nike (NASDAQ: NKE) has turned its gaze to AI solutions for market efficiency and custom recommendations for consumers.

In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek’s coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI.

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