AI Takes Center Stage at Opening of FrancoTech 2026

Résumé détaillé

FrancoTech 2026, an innovation fair held on the sidelines of the 20th Francophonie Summit, opened on Nov. 14 with a roundtable discussion ...

PHNOM PENH – FrancoTech 2026 opened on Nov. 14 with discussions on artificial intelligence and digital governance, bringing together innovators and entrepreneurs from across the Francophone world for a three-day fair.

Two presentations set the tone for the discussions. Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, program director at Cheikh Hamidou Kane Digital University in Senegal, outlined the capabilities of African universities in the digital sector. He highlighted the ambitions of several African countries to become leading players in the field, emphasizing Senegal's role and initiatives undertaken by its regional partners.

Alexandre Zapolsky, president of French technology company LINAGORA, addressed the Francophone world's dependence on the United States and China for artificial intelligence technologies and digital tools. He discussed not only the economic implications of this dependence but also the material and environmental challenges associated with technological development.

In response, Zapolsky advocated for a "third digital path" – an alternative for countries seeking to reduce their reliance on the two major technological powers. He expressed hope that the approach would be shared with stakeholders across the Francophone world.

Moderated by Sopheap Seng, the roundtable brought together the two speakers and five additional panelists. Discussions focused on the importance of preserving cultural values, traditions and identities in the development and application of artificial intelligence.

Participants stressed the need to keep people at the center of digital applications and account for cultural differences in cooperation and exchanges between countries. Data governance and linguistic diversity also featured prominently in the discussions.

Sharing digital infrastructure was identified as one way to strengthen the capabilities of countries with a limited presence in the digital economy.

Running through Nov. 16, the fair aims to promote the French language as a driver of…

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