Elyes Manai: A Pioneer in AI Reliability and Cybersecurity
At just 29 years old, Elyes Manai is part of a new generation of Tunisian researchers who are making a name for themselves at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and knowledge sharing. Since 2022, he has been based in Quebec, where he is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, while also collaborating with technological communities and enterprises around the world.
Expertise in AI Reliability
His area of expertise is precise: the reliability of artificial intelligence systems. His work focuses on Explainable AI (XAI), a branch of AI that seeks to make models more transparent, understandable, and auditable, particularly in critical sectors such as cybersecurity. "My main expertise is in the reliability of systems. How to make a model more transparent, secure, and reliable when it goes into production," he explains. In practical terms, Elyes Manai often intervenes after the development phase of an AI model. His role is to analyze whether the system is robust enough to be used in real-world environments, especially in markets subject to strict regulations like Canada or the United States. "Most of the time, the company already has its model. I come in after to do an audit: is it reliable? secure? transparent? Does it meet the necessary standards to go into production?"
Academic Background
Holder of a master's degree in artificial intelligence and web intelligence from the Higher School of Digital Economy in La Manouba, and a PhD in computer science from Laval University in 2025, he has specialized in the application of AI to cybersecurity. His research focuses on explainable models for intrusion detection, AI model auditing, secure AI pipelines, and reliability analysis of intelligent systems. Even before completing his PhD, he had already accumulated over a decade of experience in teaching, mentoring, and technological communities. "I started very early. I worked and studied in parallel for years," he says. This multitasking approach has become his work method.
A Hybrid Career Path
Teaching, research, conferences, startup mentoring, scientific popularization: Elyes Manai is building a hybrid career path, far from the classic model of an engineer specialized in a single function. "I didn't want to spend my life doing only engineering behind a screen. I like to talk, transmit, travel, work on innovative topics, and choose the projects I advance on." This ability to connect research, industry, and community has earned him international recognition. Since 2020, he has held the title of Google Developer Expert in Machine Learning, a global program of Google Developers that brings together around 1,200 technology experts from around the world, including nearly 200 specialized in artificial intelligence.
Democratization of AI
Through this network, he leads workshops, conferences, and training sessions on Google technologies and artificial intelligence. He is also a certified instructor at Nvidia Deep Learning Institute, technical mentor for the Google for Startups Accelerator program, co-founder of the PyData Tunisia community, and former head of Facebook Developer Circles Tunisia. In total, he claims to have led over 200 conferences, workshops, and training sessions between Tunisia, Canada, and several international events. This activity reflects another central dimension of his career: the democratization of AI. "The goal is not just to solve today's problem. We need to look further, understand what's coming in research, and prepare companies for the technologies they will use in two years."
