This announcement was made on Monday during the opening of a national symposium on "the use and development of responsible artificial intelligence in Morocco," organized in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Minister Mezzour highlighted the importance of establishing a dedicated AI system as a catalyst for innovation and economic growth in the Kingdom. She emphasized that such a system would lead to the creation of new services, job opportunities, and enhanced skills within the country

Morocco stands out as one of the earliest countries to implement UNESCO's recommendations on AI ethics, adopted during the 41st session of UNESCO's General Conference in November 2021 in Paris. Minister Mezzour noted that the ministry is fully aligned with Morocco's ongoing momentum in the field of artificial intelligence.

The minister highlighted the vast and limitless possibilities offered by AI in driving transformation across various sectors and its positive impact on citizens' lives. She also pointed out the numerous initiatives currently underway in Morocco, including the establishment of research and development centers in Oujda, Rabat, Fez, and Benguerir, focusing on AI.

To fully leverage the benefits of AI advancements, Minister Mezzour stressed the need for a comprehensive ethical framework to establish an effective AI ethics policy.

The Ministry Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform is actively working to enable various sectors, especially startups and service outsourcing, to benefit from the ongoing technological revolution, she concluded.

Eric Falt, UNESCO's Regional Director for the Maghreb, acknowledged Morocco's leadership in the field of AI ethics. He commended Morocco for being one of the first countries to respond to UNESCO's call for ethical AI and noted UNESCO's strong commitment to addressing ethical challenges in a rapidly evolving world. UNESCO's unanimous approval of the Recommendation on AI Ethics in November 2021 marked the first international normative framework focused on ethics in AI development and usage.

Morocco's alignment with UNESCO's Recommendation has enabled the country to receive structural support through the Ministry Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, under the "Harnessing the Power of AI to Promote Digital Equality" project. This support aims to implement the Recommendation and develop a national vision for AI within strategic frameworks.

Mounir Bensalah, the Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), underlined CNDH's commitment to ensuring that AI-based algorithms and technologies do not violate human rights and uphold freedom of action and choice without bias or deception. CNDH is also dedicated to safeguarding privacy and data confidentiality, combating stereotypes, and various forms of discrimination, particularly gender-based discrimination, and promoting transparency in decisions and procedures supported by AI systems.

Bensalah revealed that in December 2022, CNDH published a comprehensive document containing 76 recommendations and 10 guidelines related to AI ethics to protect human rights. This document is the third of its kind globally produced by a national human rights institution and is among 250 internationally approved documents by the High Commissioner, and the second on a continental scale.

The Council aspires to advocate collectively, both nationally and internationally, for the design and development of AI systems based on a human rights approach and for responsible and ethical AI with human rights as a fundamental value.

He referenced the statement by the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, in September 2021, emphasizing that AI technologies can have negative, and even catastrophic, effects if they do not sufficiently consider their impact on human rights. Bensalah stressed the importance of systematic evaluation and monitoring of the effects of AI systems to identify and mitigate risks.

This two-day workshop addresses several key themes, including "Opportunities and Challenges of AI in Morocco," "Impacts of AI Technologies on the Population," and "AI, Economics, and Infrastructure."