Priority Africa at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit

Representatives from UNESCO member states, civil society, the private sector, academia and research took part in the discussions, which frequently touched on Africa's main challenges and opportunities in terms of AI and global cooperation. They stressed the need to promote the diversity of the AI ecosystem, through an inclusive, open and multi-stakeholder approach that places ethics, the protection of human rights and dignity, and respect for values at the heart of AI development, in line with UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021), while underlining the need and urgency of bridging the digital divide and helping African countries build their AI capacity.

The UNESCO side event featured four highlights:

- Presentation : « UNESCO: «Preparing AI for the world. Preparing the world for AI: an overview of UNESCO's contribution, starting with early digital work and the 2021 Recommendation; a review of programs and impact in education; training for journalists, judges and civil servants; the environment, climate resilience and disaster preparedness; culture; policy support for states; and a look ahead to the G20; neurotechnology, and beyond, presented by Max Kendrick, AI Strategy Coordinator in the Office of the Director-General of UNESCO.

- «Priority Africa Fireside Chat: a discussion between UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations, Firmin Edouard Matoko, and the African Union Commission's Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, on the «Action plan for the African Union's continental AI strategy».

- Ministerial exchange: Lessons learned and next steps : moderated by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Tawfik Jelassi, with contributions from : Lino Adrianzén Olaya, President of the Council of Ministers (Peru), Chea Vandeth, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (Cambodia), Ibrahim Kalil Konaté, Minister of Digital Transition and Digitization (Côte d'Ivoire), Avinash Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation (Mauritius), Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform (Morocco), Renato Sodium Jr, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (Philippines), Paula Ingabire, Minister of Information and Communication Technology and Innovation (Rwanda), Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, Chairman, Saudi Data and AI Authority (Saudi Arabia), Wisit Wisitsora-At, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (Thailand, host country of the AI 2025 Global Ethics Forum). Other speakers included Lacine Kone, Managing Director and CEO of Smart Africa, Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary, ICT Division (Bangladesh), Abhishek Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (India), Nezar Patria, Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital (Indonesia). They presented the experience of their respective countries in AI development, very often in cooperation with UNESCO through the use of the Readiness Assessment Method (RAM).

- Panel : Stakeholder cooperation in an accelerating political landscape : moderated by Antonio Zappulla, Managing Director of the Thomson Reuters Foundation (key partner), with contributions from Vilas Dhar, Chairman of the J. Mc Govern Foundation (key partner), Youchul Kim, Chief Strategy Officer, LG AI Research (key partner) and Constance de Leuse, Executive Director, AI & Society Institute, University of ENS-PSL).