At just 18 years old…
A young Moroccan is already making waves in the world of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
His name is Sami Maghnaoui, and Google recently invited him to San Jose, California, to present his AI project after it caught the company’s attention.
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Sami’s journey started early.
He began experimenting with computers at the age of 3, built games on Roblox at 14 using the Lua programming language, then taught himself Python, automation, scripting and cybersecurity through online platforms like Hack The Box. Rather than following a traditional path, he learned by building real projects.
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His breakthrough project is called Playback IQ.
Using artificial intelligence, the platform can recreate football matches from raw match data, generating dynamic visual replays and helping coaches, analysts and fans better understand what happened on the pitch. It’s this innovative idea that earned him recognition from Google.
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What makes his story even more remarkable is his background.
Sami attended a regular Moroccan public school, earned a 13/20 in his physics baccalaureate and describes himself as someone who learned far more through curiosity, English-language documentation and open-source communities than through the traditional education system.
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Today, he’s studying cybersecurity while continuing to develop AI projects.
His ambition is clear: build world-class technology and eventually pursue opportunities in the United States, a dream he has worked toward through self-learning and entrepreneurship.
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Sami Maghnaoui proves that talent isn’t defined by grades or prestigious schools. With curiosity, self-learning and persistence, an 18-year-old from Morocco managed to earn the attention of one of the world’s biggest tech companies.
