Masoud Shokrani: The Digital Environment Should Be Accessible to Everyone
From October 8 to 10, Moscow hosted the 2nd Global Digital Forum, bringing together representatives from 120 countries to discuss the future of digital technology and the protection of human rights as algorithms become increasingly widespread.
Participants focused on making IT solutions more accessible, using artificial intelligence responsibly, and bridging the digital divide.
Masoud Shokrani, CEO of an IT company and a board member of an IT association representing the United Arab Emirates, spoke to the IT Russia media platform about why countries need to expand international partnerships.
– Unfortunately, there are countries and vendors in the market that control a significant share of digital resources and believe they can restrict entire countries’ access to them for political reasons. But the digital environment should be accessible to everyone. It is just as essential a resource as water, air, and sunlight.
That is why countries need to seek alternatives and develop their own technologies so that their digital infrastructure does not depend on one or several companies from a single country. Russia and Iran are already moving in this direction. A new operating system is being developed, for example. I consider this a bold and timely decision.
International cooperation also plays an important role in the development of digital technology. This is not my first time attending the Global Digital Forum, and I can see the progress. This year, more countries are represented, along with a wider range of technology solutions. The forum shows that cooperation between countries is growing stronger and that digital technologies are increasingly being used to address everyday challenges and improve people’s lives.
Russian technology is one example. Companies such as Astra and Sberbank have presented their own ecosystems, bringing together digital services and making them more convenient for citizens to use.
