Rabat: The first International Forum on AI, digital transition, energy, and connectivity in Africa commenced on Monday in Rabat, initiated by the African Center for Administrative Training and Research for Development (CAFRAD). This three-day event is held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and is themed “Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transition, Energy, and Connectivity in Africa: Prospects for International Cooperation.”

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the forum gathers a diverse group of participants, including government officials, public institutions, NGOs, private sector actors, experts, financial institutions, and international groups specializing in AI. The focus is on examining issues related to digital transition, energy, connectivity, and exploring new prospects for international cooperation in Africa.

During the opening, Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni acknowledged CAFRAD’s historic role in enhancing administrative capacities and modernizing public action across Africa. She pointed out that the forum is timely, as AI and digital technologies are significantly transforming economies, governance models, and international dynamics. The minister stressed the importance of mastering data, digital infrastructure, computing power, skills, and AI applications, highlighting Africa’s strengths such as its dynamic youth, innovation capacity, and needs in areas like public services, education, health care, transportation, and energy.

CAFRAD Executive Director Coffi Dieudonn© Assouvi remarked on the transformative impact of digital technologies and AI in the 21st century, affecting lifestyles, work methods, consumption patterns, interpersonal relationships, and the organization of both the public and private sectors. He underlined international efforts, including the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI adopted in 2021 and the Pact for the Future adopted by the UN in September 2024, with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations annexed to it.