U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced the launch of the UN Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence (AI), a Morocco-United States joint initiative to promote and coordinate digital cooperation.
Speaking at a ministerial debate in December at the UN Security Council on AI’s role in maintaining global peace and security, Blinken highlighted that the group is open to all UN member states. It provides a platform for experts from diverse regions to share best practices in AI adoption.
The debate also focused on advancing discussions about emerging technologies and addressing their opportunities and challenges.
In July, Morocco’s UN Permanent Representative Omar Hilale and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield co-launched the Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development. Within just a few months, over 70 member states joined the group.
This initiative followed the adoption of the UN General Assembly’s first AI-related resolution, Resolution 78/265, co-facilitated by Morocco and the United States, and co-sponsored by 125 countries at the time of its adoption.
According to a report published in November by the French Development Agency (AFD), entitled “AI Investment Potential Index (AIIPI),” Morocco ranks as the top destination in Africa for investment potential in artificial intelligence.