AI in Morocco’s digital landscape drives opening of African Digital Summit

The importance of leveraging artificial intelligence AI to advance Morocco’s digital landscape took center

 stage at the sixth edition of the African Digital Summit, organized by the Moroccan Advertisers Group (GAM) on Tuesday in Casablanca. 

The two-day summit opened with speeches by Ghita Mezzour, Minister of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Innovation, and Scientific Research, and GAM president Youssef Cheikhi. 

Minister Mezzour emphasized the significant opportunities AI offers, particularly in delivering personalized content to diverse audiences.

AI-powered personalized content will enhance audience engagement and accelerate content creation, she believes. 

Contrary to popular belief, she stressed that “AI will not render content creators obsolete but instead can be used as a tool to produce text, music, and videos, leaving ample space for creative contributions. 

“I hope to see content that reflects our culture and showcases it globally, with AI playing a key role in accelerating this effort,” she added.

Discussing her recently launched Digital Morocco 2030 strategy, Mezzour highlighted the country’s goal of becoming a digital leader in Africa by investing in AI to improve public services, support startups, and attract international companies. 

She also emphasized that “talent is at the heart of this digital revolution, serving as the driving force behind Morocco’s technological development.”

To support this national vision, Morocco aims to increase the number of digital graduates from 8,000 to 22,500 annually by 2027, with progress already evident in the 2023-2024 academic year, which saw the accreditation of 144 new digital programs across the Kingdom’s 12 public universities, said the Minister.

These programs cover various fields, including artificial intelligence, big data, and cybersecurity, with over 40 accredited AI programs nationwide.

Mezzour stressed that these initiatives reflect Morocco’s ambition to train talent capable of meeting global technological challenges. 

For his part, the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation stated that we are living in a very important period, calling for special attention to be paid to Generation Alpha, who was born at the same time as the iPad. 

This generation, the minister added, is now entering universities, which implies that we need to rethink our educational models.

Miraoui also emphasized that every course module in Moroccan universities includes a unit dedicated to a digital skill, and this applies to all programs.

The Minister has additionally announced that a new institute focused on artificial intelligence will be established in the city of Fes, Morocco. This institute will be a hub for all the country’s professors and researchers in the areas of digital technology and AI.

The 6th African Digital Summit is expected to provide a platform for deep reflection on the continent’s digital future, where AI presents opportunities and challenges in areas such as energy and talent management.

The event will feature a dedicated space for startups to connect with Moroccan and international decision-makers, fostering innovation and bridging the gap between supply and demand.

Over two days, the summit is also expected to offer conferences and interactive sessions on topics such as the impact of AI on digital marketing, emerging tech trends, and the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation.