Morocco’s Bet on Targeted AI

RABAT—The AI revolution is often described as universal, but its benefits have so far been concentrated in the countries shaping frontier models. The United States, where staggering amounts of capital are flowing into the sector, has embraced technological sovereignty as an instrument of power. China regards AI development as a strategic and deeply embedded state project, with the explicit ambition of global leadership by 2030 (hence the creation of the “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization” in Shanghai in July 2026). For the rest of the world, AI offers the promise of progress, but not a clear path toward achieving it.

Morocco, like many other countries, must decide whether to try to catch up with the global frontrunners by investing massively in infrastructure and computing power—an increasingly difficult task—or to pursue a different approach. In the year since our inaugural National AI Conference, we have chosen an ownership strategy focused on organizing domestic data, training local talent, and shaping use cases that meet our needs in education, health care, public administration, agriculture, defense, innovation, and cultural industries.