Morocco has been ranked 63rd out of 135 countries in the 2026 Global Index for Responsible Artificial Intelligence, achieving a score of 35.62 out of 100. This places Morocco at the forefront of the Maghreb region, indicating its commitment to developing and managing artificial intelligence (AI) in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Regional Leadership in AI Governance
Announced in Geneva, the report highlights Morocco’s advancements, surpassing Libya, which ranked 78th, and placing Tunisia and Algeria even lower at 110th and 123rd, respectively. This suggests a relative improvement in Morocco’s AI governance relative to its neighbors.
Global Context
On a global scale, Norway led the rankings, followed by Italy, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands. In stark contrast, South Sudan found itself at the bottom of the index. The research was conducted by the Global AI Governance Center in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office under the “AI for Development” initiative.
Assessment Methodology
The report analyzed 396 regulatory frameworks on responsible AI, alongside 805 governmental initiatives and over 600 civil society efforts, providing a comprehensive assessment of the policies and practices related to AI across various nations.
Addressing Global Challenges
The report noted that approximately 53% of the global population has engaged with generative AI tools. However, the average performance across countries remains low, with many only achieving 35 out of 100. Furthermore, only 55% of countries with active frameworks are successfully implementing their stated policies, a figure that drops to 45% in the Global South.
In developing nations, there has been significant progress in incorporating responsible AI principles into national policies, with a reported 83% increase in covered topics compared to previous assessments. Yet, the majority of these frameworks lack legal enforceability, with 78% being non-binding, in contrast to only 42% in the Global North.
Concerns and Opportunities
The report also raised alarms about the growing challenges related to the safety and security of AI, citing documented instances where governments have used these technologies in concerning ways across 35 nations. Furthermore, merely 36% of countries have frameworks addressing issues such as misinformation and violence associated with AI usage.
In terms of transparency, while 58% of countries have frameworks regulating AI usage, the disclosure about governmental use of algorithmic systems remains one of the weakest aspects of governance. Additionally, environmental considerations concerning AI are notably limited, with only 27% of countries implementing policies to address these concerns, the majority of which are also non-binding.
Concluding, the report emphasizes a growing governmental interest in developing AI technologies that support local languages and cultural diversity, with 52 countries actively leading initiatives in this area. However, only a small fraction of these initiatives require developers to employ data that respects linguistic and cultural particularities.
