Accra, July 20 (IANS): The executive council of the African Union (AU) has approved its Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and African Digital Compact to boost Africa's digital development, an official said.

AU Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization Amani Abou-Zeid said this in an interview Friday during the 45th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, a prelude to its 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, reported Xinhua news agency.

"Our council approved the AU strategy for artificial intelligence and the strategy for using digital technologies, which will set the path for Africa's use of digital technologies for development," Abou-Zeid said.

These strategies would provide direction on the use of technology to find solutions to Africa's challenges, help fast-track many projects and programmes, and guard against the unethical use of technology, she said.

"The technology must help us preserve our identity, preserve our languages and cultures, and be helpful rather than harm us," the commissioner said.

The strategies would create an enabling environment for the development and use of digital technology, Abou-Zeid said, adding that the AU policy would guide the governments of various members to develop the necessary policy and regulatory frameworks for the sector.

"The strategies will help us create a single digital market and guide all sovereign countries on how to use digital technology to boost their development processes," she said.

"There must be rules and regulations to punish the negative use of AI and digital technologies to prevent further abuse," Abou-Zeid said, adding that seven African countries now have AI policies, but the continental body would like to see all members develop their policies.