Morocco is the first African and Arab country to implement UNESCO’s recommendations on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, said Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, on Friday in Rabat. During a national conference to present UNESCO’s report on Morocco’s AI readiness, Ramos congratulated the Kingdom on this groundbreaking initiative, emphasizing that the country is a pioneer in the region by launching its report. Highlighting the findings of the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), the UN organization’s Assistant Director-General pointed out that Morocco benefits from solid foundations for the growth of a dynamic AI ecosystem, with robust technological infrastructure and strong connectivity.
Among its notable assets, she mentioned its exemplary Open Data policy, considered the driving force behind AI development. The UN official also pointed out that Morocco is equipped with high-quality training and education facilities for AI skills and research, citing the Moroccan International Center for Artificial Intelligence at UM6P, a category 2 center under the auspices of UNESCO. She also praised the strong policy on digital equality implemented in the Kingdom, resulting in one of the highest percentages of female engineers in the world (42%), emphasizing that this is an essential ingredient in building a fair ecosystem for research and development since gender inequalities within the teams developing these models lead to downstream inequalities. She noted that this is an area where Morocco has particularly excelled and should serve as a model for other countries.
Minister of Digitalization and Administrative Reform Ghita Mezzour said that the report was part of the national digital development strategy, which aims to support the digital transition of public services by harnessing the potential of AI to improve the quality of services offered to citizens and businesses. In this regard, the minister emphasized that cooperation with UNESCO experts is of utmost importance, especially in the current context of strengthening the AI ecosystem in Morocco, whether it is supporting start-ups, promoting research and development, or attracting specialized international stakeholders to become a “major producer in this field.”
HESPRESS ENGLISH
Add comment