Artificial Intelligence Requires Understanding Its Limitations and Defining Ethical Safeguards (Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office)

Fez – The King’s Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation, Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Hicham Balaoui, emphasized on Monday in Fez that the approach to artificial intelligence should not be limited to exploiting its technical capabilities, but must also be based on understanding its limitations and defining ethical safeguards.

Speaking at a training session for judicial officials from the public prosecutor’s offices, on the theme of “Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights,” Mr. Balaoui indicated that the importance of this topic continues to grow, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, the right to a defense, the protection of privacy, and the right to a fair trial, in a context marked by the profound technological transformations the world is experiencing and the ethical, legal, and human rights challenges they raise, which require appropriate support and guidance.

He noted that the impact of artificial intelligence technologies is no longer limited to the scientific, educational, and economic sectors, but now extends to various aspects of life, including the justice system, through applications that enable the detection of criminal activity, the uncovering of fraud, and the facilitation of investigations.

However, these possibilities raise challenges for the judicial system and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, given the missions entrusted to them, he observed, emphasizing the need for a thorough understanding of this issue, especially since artificial intelligence, despite its numerous advantages, also carries risks that could affect respect for rights and freedoms, as well as human rights in general.

Mr. Balaoui specified that this training session is part of the implementation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s strategic plan and the execution of its capacity-building training program, particularly through the development of prosecutors’ skills in the field of human rights.

He emphasized the major importance of the topic at hand, given its impact on various aspects of life. While artificial intelligence offers new perspectives for improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, it also imposes additional obligations regarding respect for rights and freedoms, he explained.

He also indicated that this session is part of a series of training sessions to be organized in different regions of the Kingdom to highlight this issue, given the fundamental role of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in protecting rights and freedoms.

For his part, Samir Marmouri, from the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, which is contributing to the organization of this session alongside the Public Prosecutor’s Office, stated that this meeting is part of Morocco’s ongoing efforts to strengthen governance in the justice sector and develop the skills of magistrates.

He added that artificial intelligence is among the topics requiring particular attention at present, specifying that it is with this in mind that this program was established to train public prosecutors and judicial officials in the use of artificial intelligence, in accordance with human rights requirements.

The organization of this training session is part of the capacity-building program for magistrates in human rights matters, launched by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2020, as well as the implementation of its 2026-2028 strategic plan, particularly its second strategic axis relating to strengthening the protection of rights and freedoms.

This session focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in the fight against crime and the protection of human rights. Indeed, the rapid development of technologies based on artificial intelligence opens new perspectives for strengthening efforts in the prevention, detection, and investigation of offenses.

However, the increasing use of these technologies by law enforcement and criminal justice institutions also raises the need to ensure that their use complies with the principles of the rule of law and international human rights standards.