Great opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in the Latin American public sector.

Artificial Intelligence faces three major challenges in fully impacting the public sector in Latin America: defining and implementing public policies based on ethical principles; adopting data governance frameworks and algorithms, supported by regulatory frameworks; and preparing the workforce to add value to their work and contribute to economic and social development.  

This is one of the main conclusions of the ExperiencIA virtual event, held in Bogotá and Madrid simultaneously, which featured international data and AI experts and in which the ExperiencIA: data and artificial intelligence in the public sector report was presented.

Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America –, said that the institution is ambitiously promoting the indispensable digital transformation agenda, which also includes the digital modernization of Latin American states.

“The State Digital Innovation Directorate was created in 2019, which promotes more flexible, open and innovative governments, relying on new technologies and data intelligence. The objective is to promote improvements in the efficiency and transparency of administration, as well as the quality of services for citizens. We additionally work to provide financing for digital modernization initiatives,” said Díaz-Granados.

Víctor Muñoz, director of the Administrative Department for the Republic of Colombia Presidency, said that the country has made progress in the development of public policies for digital transformation and their implementation, with emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, as well as the training of 100,000 programmers.

“Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the mechanisms that will allow us to grow and develop economically, not only now, but in the coming years. We have invested more than USD 40 million in developing this strategy and we are also working on the ethical AI framework, which has been a benchmark for other Latin American countries,” said Muñoz.

Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence for the Spanish Government, also stressed that the rise of AI will make it possible to design the future and economic recovery, with an evident impact on reactivation of the productive sector. In that regard, she pointed out the existence of an emblematic project in her own country, which is the Digital Rights Charter. “This is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at offering a frame of reference to address the main ethical, social and legislative challenges that digitalization implies as a transformative factor,” she added.

The ExperiencIA: data and artificial intelligence in the public sector report notes that countries such as Colombia have successfully advanced in the implementation of the national AI policy as the result of a long-term vision, a coordinated effort from different players, and a set of prioritized actions in terms of ethics, data governance and regulatory experimentation spaces. The region still has a long way to go to be enabled to face the current and future challenges posed by ethical and responsible use of this technology.