Rabat – The head of Morocco’s High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA), Latifa Akharbach, has called for artificial intelligence (AI) governance to protect cultural diversity and media pluralism, warning that AI-powered tools could limit the range of information people receive.
Akharbach made the remarks during the International Regulators’ Forum, held from October 12 to 14 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event was organized by the International Institute of Communications in partnership with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Speaking on a panel titled “News, Democracy and Algorithmic Delivery,” Akharbach discussed how generative AI is changing the way people access information and raising new challenges for democratic trust.
In her address, “AI and the Information Space: How Can We Preserve a Pluralistic and Shared Public Sphere?”, she argued that having access to more information sources does not necessarily mean people receive diverse views.
As people increasingly turn to AI-powered tools for answers instead of traditional search engines, they may receive a single response rather than a range of sources and perspectives, she explained.
These systems select, rank, and rephrase information, which gives them growing influence over how people understand the world.
Akharbach warned that this shift could lead to two main risks. The first is the fragmentation of public debate as algorithms personalize the information people see. The second is the spread of similar views and representations as AI systems become concentrated in the hands of a small number of global technology companies.
Referring to recent Gen Z mobilizations in several countries across the Global North and South, including Morocco, she discussed the importance of preserving a shared public space where citizens can access different perspectives and take part in informed debate.
The HACA chief also called on African countries to play an active role in developing international standards for AI governance.
She stressed the need to ensure that African languages, cultures, and information sources remain visible in the global digital ecosystem.
The International Institute of Communications, founded in London in 1969, is a non-profit international organization that brings together media and telecommunications regulators, industry representatives, academics, and researchers to discuss developments in the communications sectors.
Akharbach attended the forum alongside Sahar Syassi, an official from Morocco’s audiovisual regulatory authority.
