Bourita advocates for AI in service of peace and security in Africa
via Le Matin2 min read
Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, participated in a ministerial meeting of the African Union's Peace and Security Council via videoconference. The meeting focused on artificial intelligence AI and its implications for governance, peace, and security in Africa. Bourita highlighted Morocco's commitment to using AI as a strategic tool for sovereignty, development, and public action, aligning with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He noted progress since the first ministerial meeting on AI, including the adoption of the African Declaration on AI and the announcement of an African Fund for this technology. The minister addressed three major concerns regarding AI: governance, citing manipulated content and disinformation campaigns; conflict, due to AI's use in spreading hate speech and targeted opinion manipulation; and peacekeeping, given the complexity of operational environments with multiple information sources and hybrid threats. To counter these challenges, Bourita proposed African mechanisms for monitoring, early warning, and rapid response to information manipulation, developing systems to detect hate speech, strengthening African human capacities in AI, and creating frameworks for engagement with digital platforms. He also suggested developing African AI solutions for conflict prevention and peace operations. Bourita concluded by reaffirming Morocco's commitment to supporting African AI initiatives, ai
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