Speaking at the opening of the “Africa Morocco gitex”, placed under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, Mr. Akhannouch stressed that “the kingdom is strongly involved in international forums to defend an ethical, inclusive and regulated AI, respectful of human rights, protecting the confidentiality of information and personal data, and serving the general interest”.
In a pre-recorded video intervention, the Head of Government added that “faced with the rise of various reprehensible practices, in particular cyber attacks, we must today think collectively at the reinforcement mechanisms of our IT security to protect our systems against these non-ethical behaviors”.
He cited, in this regard, the recent AI summit during which Morocco expressed a clear position by affirming that Africa should not be a simple field of experimentation, but an actor, a decision maker and a producer.
Mr. Akhannouch also noted that, thanks to the high orientations of King Mohammed VI, Morocco has opted for years for digitalization, considering this project as a national priority through the launch of the “Morocco Digital 2030” strategy. This strategy is based on two fundamental pillars, namely the creation of a digital administration at the service of the citizen and the company, and the promotion of a digital economy generating wealth, stimulating for innovation and creator of jobs, he added.
He also mentioned the launch of several initiatives by Morocco, including the signing of agreements with global digital companies to strengthen national human capital and attract investments, the implementation of financing mechanisms adapted to start-ups, the strengthening of offshore offers, especially in the high-added sectors, as well as the development of a regulatory framework conducive to innovation, in particular to facilitate public procurement in the future. Emphasizing the importance of placing digital technology at the center of a deep transformation and making it a lever for competitiveness and a tool for social justice, he reported that Africa should not be content to follow the world movement, but on the contrary should become an actor by participating, reflecting and innovating, while being part of a framework of cooperation and integration.
In this sense, it has underlined the need for the continent to further develop its digital infrastructure, to connect the rural world to the Internet and to train young talents in terms of artificial and data intelligence, noting that Morocco defends this orientation because “we want a continent which does not undergo the impact of digital revolutions, but which exploits and channels them at the service of its populations”.
Gitex Africa thus constitutes a meeting point between the present and the future, as well as a space for the exchange of ideas between African actors to cast the groundwork for cooperation in the digital field, he continued, pleading to unify efforts so that African countries find in digital a tool of emancipation and sovereignty.
Supported by the Ministry of Digital Transition and the Reform of the Administration, in partnership with the Digital Development Agency (ADD), this event aims to promote synergies between governments, investors, entrepreneurs and digital leaders.
