CAIRO, Aug 28 (NNN-MENA) – Arab League (AL) Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, yesterday, urged Arab countries to strengthen cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, and boost investment in research and development.
In his address at the opening of the first annual Arab AI Forum, in Egypt’s coastal city of New Alamein, Gheit also called on Arab states to adopt the AL’s ethical charter on AI, which was endorsed last month, as a guiding document to ensure “responsible and fair use of AI, while respecting cultural specificities and social values in the Arab region,” the AL said in a statement.
Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, said, Arab cooperation in AI “is no longer a luxury but a pressing necessity,” the ministry said in a statement.
He stressed the need to enhance Arab AI collaboration, through an institutional framework, adding that, Egypt has proposed establishing a council of Arab ministers for AI and emerging technologies, under the AL to coordinate policies and strengthen the Arab role in this domain.
He added that, Egypt will host the first AI Everything Middle East and Africa summit, in Feb next year, to strengthen regional cooperation in the field.
The two-day forum, organised by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, in cooperation with the Arab League General Secretariat, aims to advance Arab cooperation in AI and facilitate the exchange of expertise and insights on the latest developments and challenges. It brought together Arab officials, diplomats, academics, experts, and business leaders.– NNN-MENA
