Egypt Hosts 2nd OECD-AU AI Dialogue
The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has chaired the closing session of the Second OECD-African Union (AU) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Dialogue, hosted in Egypt on November 19-21.
The event aimed to advance the implementation of the AU Continental AI Strategy. It brought together representatives from the African AI Working Group’s Member States, officials from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and AI experts from prominent research centers and universities across Europe.
The meeting aligned with the AU operational mechanisms and underscored Egypt’s leadership as chair of the AU Working Group on AI.
In his remarks, the ICT Minister emphasized that the meeting marks the culmination of efforts that began in 2019 when Egypt, through the AU, called on African countries to form a working group to develop a continental AI strategy. In this context, Egypt chaired a group of around 20 African nations to formulate this strategy, focusing on ensuring the safe use of AI while upholding the ethics and neutrality of AI data. The meeting was joined by multiple international organizations, including OECD, along with leading countries in the AI field, such as the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA).
Talaat also underlined that, throughout the 2nd Dialogue, more than 20 African and non-African countries, alongside international organizations, were gathered to discuss implementing the Continental AI Strategy, its key pillars, and the fundamental principles required for launching the African AI charter. He praised the contributions of the African countries involved in this initiative through the AU Working Group on AI, underscoring that these efforts reinforce Egypt’s regional leadership in the ICT sector, exemplified by chairing the Working Group on AI. He also pointed out that these efforts provide valuable insights into the African countries’ visions on various AI-related issues.
For his part, the Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security Amr Aljowaily explained that AI is one of the key topics addressed in the Global Digital Compact, with Egypt and African countries playing a pivotal role in shaping the discussions related to its formulation. He also underlined Egypt’s steadfast commitment to contributing to relevant UN mechanisms to ensure the effective and safe use of this groundbreaking technology.
During the session, the Acting Commissioner of Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Angela Cassell Bush highlighted the focus that African countries are placing on exploring ways to leverage AI, particularly through raising awareness and empowering youth.
In her speech, Economist and Policy Analyst Lucia Russo, representing OECD, commended the collaboration between OECD and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) within the framework of the National AI Strategy. She highlighted the significant progress made under this Strategy, including developing competencies and building capacities. She also praised the leadership role in facilitating the continental dialogue to launch the Continental AI Strategy. She referred to the rich discussions held during the two-day dialogue sessions, underscoring Africa’s readiness to seize opportunities for the Strategy’s implementation.
Furthermore, the UK representative noted his country’s unwavering support for regional discussions on implementing the Continental AI Strategy. Meanwhile, the US representative highlighted the AI for Sustainable Development (AI4SD) initiative, unveiled during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in September.
The session was attended by the Advisor to the ICT Minister for Technological Talents Hoda Baraka, Advisor to the ICT Minister for International Relations Affairs Khaled Taha, UNDP Egypt Assistant Resident Representative Abeer Shakweer, and representatives from the embassies of the UK, Italy, and the US.
It is worth noting that the Second OECD-AU AI Dialogue builds on the success of the First Dialogue held in Paris, France, in March, which primarily aimed to support African countries in developing the Continental AI Strategy.
The dialogue sessions covered the OECD presentation on best practices for developing a roadmap to implement the Continental AI Strategy, adopted at the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in July, with a focus on fostering international and regional cooperation while outlining actionable steps and identifying the resources needed to achieve the strategy’s goals. Moreover, global experiences in crafting tailored strategies for integrating AI into priority sectors for African nations, such as public services, healthcare, education, and agriculture, were explored. In addition, participants exchanged perspectives on drafting a charter for AI ethics in Africa.
