: EiTESAL Leads National Dialogue on AI Ethics and Intellectual Property Rights in the MENA Region
EiTESAL, acting as a member of the UNESCO subcommittee, hosted a high-level roundtable to address the burgeoning challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) regarding intellectual property (IP) and creative industries. Chaired by Dr. Hesham Denana, the discussion brought together government officials, global tech firms, and legal consultants, alongside regional representatives from AFECTA and the Arab IT Union, to formulate a Middle Eastern and African perspective on AI governance.
The participants reached a consensus on the urgent need for a localized ethical framework to manage data transparency and content ownership. Key recommendations included establishing clear legal boundaries for AI-generated content—determining whether ownership rests with the developer, the user, or the public domain. Eng. Hossam Megahed, Chairman of EiTESAL, emphasized that while AI presents a historic opportunity for economic growth, it necessitates a collective responsibility to ensure that innovation does not come at the cost of creators' rights or cultural identity.
