Abu Dhabi, UAE – Sofia Ghacham, Moroccan Ambassador of Women in AI and an industry leader in Morocco, shared perspectives on AI governance, regional readiness, and Africa’s growing role in global technology discussions during the Machines Can Think Summit 2026. Ghacham spoke in an interview with Justin Cooke following her participation in a dedicated AI safety roundtable at the summit.
Ghacham emphasized the importance of Machines Can Think as a forum that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and public and private sector stakeholders to examine how artificial intelligence is shaping societies and economies.
“This summit puts everyone in one room around a shared question,” Ghacham said. “How AI is shaping our future.”
She highlighted the relevance of connecting AI development with societal considerations. The AI safety roundtable focused on governance at scale, responsible deployment, and long term societal impact.
“It is critical to link AI technology to social systems,” she said. “Safety must be part of the design.”
Representing Morocco and Africa, Ghacham stressed the value of regional participation in early global discussions. Learning from international experiences while contributing local perspectives strengthens emerging frameworks.
“Global frameworks become stronger when regions participate early,” she said.
Ghacham described North Africa as being in an active development phase on the AI journey. In Morocco, major investments are underway to build AI infrastructure and prepare institutions for deployment. Capacity building remains a central priority.
“Readiness means infrastructure and people,” she said.
Early AI use cases in Morocco focus on agriculture and healthcare, where pilot programs test real-world applications. These pilots help identify gaps between expectations and deployment realities while informing future policy decisions.
“We learn from pilots before scaling,” Ghacham said.
To move beyond pilots, Ghacham emphasized the need for sustained investment in infrastructure, education, and AI awareness. Morocco has launched multiple AI programs within universities and schools to prepare the next generation of talent.
“Human capital is essential,” she said. “Education drives scalability.”
On a personal level, Ghacham expressed enthusiasm about bringing insights and connections from the summit back to Morocco to inform future projects and collaborations.
The interview reflected key themes of the Machines Can Think Summit 2026, inclusive AI governance, regional participation, capacity building, and responsible innovation across emerging markets.
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Interview conducted by Justin Cooke at Machines Can Think Summit 2026
