Morocco, US Strengthen Digital Partnership with High-Level AI Discussions
Doha – Moroccan Minister of Digital Transition Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni recently met with a number of senior US officials at the State Department to cement digital partnership between Rabat and Washington, Morocco's Ambassador to the United States, Youssef Amrani, announced on Monday.
The meeting sought to advance digital cooperation between Rabat and Washington, building on their joint artificial intelligence initiatives launched last year.
'Productive discussions at the U.S. Department of State between Minister Amal El Fallah and Ambassador Steve Lang, Chief of Cyberspace and Digital Policy,' he posted on X.
'We reaffirmed the strong Morocco-US partnership, advancing cooperation in digital transformation and artificial intelligence to foster innovation and shared prosperity for both our nations. Promising perspectives lie ahead,' wrote the Moroccan diplomat.
Ambassador Amrani added that Minister El Fallah, who serves as Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, also held 'a productive meeting at the State Department with Ms. Leila Elmergawi, Director for Strategy and Global AI Policy.'
During this meeting, they discussed 'Morocco's ambitious AI Roadmap and the Digital Morocco 2030 plan, reaffirming their commitment to advancing AI development and digital transformation for a prosperous future.'
These discussions come on the heels of groundbreaking Morocco-US collaborations in AI. In March 2024, both countries shattered barriers by co-presenting the first-ever UN resolution on artificial intelligence.
The resolution, titled 'Seizing the Opportunities of Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Systems for Sustainable Development,' gained support from 123 Member States before its adoption.
Following this achievement, in June 2024, both countries established the Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development at the UN headquarters in New York.
Read also: US, Morocco Advance Strategic Partnership Under Trump Administration
This initiative was launched by Morocco's UN Ambassador Omar Hilale and US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. It aims to create a platform for international cooperation on AI development, with a particular focus on supporting developing countries.
Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged Morocco's contributions during a UN Security Council Meeting on AI last December.
'This summer, the U.S. and Morocco also established a group at the United Nations, open to all member states, where experts from every region are sharing best practices for adopting artificial intelligence,' Blinken said, describing it as 'real progress.'
The North African country is making bold strides in AI adoption. In April 2024, a parliamentary opposition group in Morocco's House of Councilors submitted a bill to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country.
Presented by the parliamentary group of the Moroccan Labor Union, the bill aims to address the risks and illegal uses of AI technology while proposing the creation of a National Agency for Artificial Intelligence to oversee AI governance.
If approved, the agency would be responsible for implementing and monitoring a national AI strategy, fostering AI talent, and ensuring ethical AI use in Morocco.
A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as part of the 2023 CCI Global Consumer Sentiment Survey, revealed that 80% of Moroccan consumers are aware of ChatGPT, while 38% actively use the AI tool.
This positions Morocco as the second-highest user of ChatGPT globally, after India, and the leader in Africa.
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