Upon returning from the FISA 2025 International Forum, executive assistants and secretaries in Senegal are sounding the alarm. The secretarial profession, long considered a cornerstone of administrative life, is now facing a profound transformation that is worrying professionals in the sector.

At the end of the forum organised in Mali by the African Federation of Professional Secretaries and Executive Assistants (FAPROSAD), the Senegalese delegation issued a clear warning: artificial intelligence (AI) now represents a real and immediate threat to the future of the profession.

"What five people used to do, only one can do with AI. We are threatened by artificial intelligence. AI improves productivity and automates tasks, but it also means that jobs will disappear. What five secretaries used to do, only one person assisted by AI can now do. The others risk losing their jobs," warns Ba Ndèye Awa Mané, national president of assistants and secretaries of Senegal.

In businesses, automation solutions are increasingly used to generate emails, schedule calendars, manage data, and organize meetings—tasks once essential to the profession. Intelligent software is gradually replacing humans, revolutionizing a sector where interpersonal and organizational skills were once paramount.

Thus, for Ms. Mané, the threat is twofold: reduction of staff in administrative services, decline in the perceived value of the profession, now considered replaceable by a digital tool.

This rapid transformation creates a climate of uncertainty within secretariats, particularly in African countries where AI training remains insufficient.

The other dark side of AI, according to her, is privacy. Indeed, beyond job losses, secretaries are also raising concerns about the risks to confidentiality. "With AI, it becomes very difficult to protect people's privacy. Data circulates, is stored, sometimes without any real control. We are no longer safe," warns Ms. Mané.

She points out that in both public administrations and businesses, secretaries handle sensitive information daily. Therefore, the use of uncontrolled digital tools exposes this data to risks of leaks or intrusion.

In professional competitions, AI is already at the heart of the debates. At the 2025 edition of the forum, which brought together 15 member countries of FAPROSAD, the central theme was revealing: "Social networks and artificial intelligence in the face of secretariat activities".

The experts present reiterated that the digital transition must be accompanied by an urgent reform of training programs, otherwise the profession risks losing its strategic position in companies.

Ms. Mané, a member of the competition jury, confirms: "AI has advantages, but it challenges our profession. If we are not trained, we will be replaced."

Furthermore, Senegal returned from Mali with a historic performance, winning 2nd place in the Coffret d'Or, with Madeleine Badenga.

"In 2023, Senegal was part of it, but we weren't even 10th, just like last year. This year, the country took second place, behind Togo, with a minimal difference of one point. Togo has 15, Senegal has 14. This is a first in history. So we had to thank our bosses because we are a delegation of 38 members. In each country, there were three candidates and the package is mandatory, because each country must present three candidates. This year, we prepared our candidates," recalls Ms. Mané.