Transitioning from the role of Djiboutian foreign minister to the African Union (AU) commission chairperson was challenging but meaningful, said Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Jan 9.
Youssouf was elected as AU Commission Chairperson in Feb 2025, emerging victorious in the leadership race against Kenyan former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Madagascan former Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato.
He said he was honored to take the job, which gave him an opportunity to serve more people.
"So many work, many crises. And I mean it's a continental job. It's not something, you know, just restricted to a country. So, it's very tough. If I can serve more people, you know, from this position of our continent and throughout the world, and I think I will be very much, you know, honored to do it. And I think it's a very interesting position, very tough and challenging. I accept to, you know, shoulder it," said Youssouf.
Youssouf was born in Feb 1965. In 1990, he obtained a master's degree in management at the University of Laval before participating in an educational training program in public management, also in Canada.
Youssouf is fluent in five languages, namely French, English, Arabic, Afar and Somali, which means he speaks at least three official working languages of the AU for effective communication across diverse diplomatic settings.
AU Commission chief describes role as challenging yet meaningful
Zhou Hongyi, founder of Chinese cybersecurity giant Qihoo 360 and a member of China’s top political advisory body, has stressed the need to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to confront mounting security threats in a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
As a member to the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Zhou placed "AI plus” security at the core of his proposals to this year's "two sessions," which convene this week, framing it as China's frontline strategy for strengthening cybersecurity.
The "two sessions" are the yearly meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the CPPCC, which serve five-year terms and convene each March. The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.
Expanding on the "AI plus" security agenda, Zhou said it would enable China to simulate cyberattacks, uncover weaknesses, and deploy digital agents across industries, measures he sees as vital to safeguarding enterprises in the AI era.
"This year I would like to first focus on 'AI plus' security, which means we must use AI's abilities to solve traditional security issues. For example we can simulate an attack to an enterprise's network, identifying its vulnerabilities and then fix them. Secondly, I think AI agents would be a key factor for 'AI plus' to be truly implemented into various industries, because large models have their own limits. Only by transforming large models into AI agents, and into digital experts and digital interns, can it be integrated with the business of enterprises," Zhou said.
Turning to the humanoid robots showcased at this year's Spring Festival Gala, Zhou said their appearance highlighted China's rapid progress in robotics and signaled that the era of intelligent machines is approaching.
"I am not surprised. I feel quite lucky I didn't do boxing with those robots on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, because I don't think I can hit them. I think China's robots manufacturing industry has seen huge progress over the past year. On the other hand, I think that show also reflects our country's industrial strategy, which is sending us a signal that an era of robots is coming. How shall we empower our enterprises through AI? That's a question our entrepreneurs and investors need to think about," he said.
As China embarks on its 15th Five-Year Plan in 2026, Zhou projects that the continued development of AI will drive substantial demand in key sectors, such as energy, raw materials, and chips.
"First I think energy, as well as some of the raw materials that can align with the development of computing power would see huge progress. The chips industry will also be developed. I think China needs more inference chips. And there would also be a huge demand for electricity," he said.
This year marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, spanning from 2026 to 2030, a period widely seen as pivotal for the country's long-term development. The plan is expected to be formally endorsed by the NPC during the "two sessions" with more detailed targets released later.
CPPCC member calls for AI-driven defenses to safeguard enterprises amid rising cyber threats
