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Chile's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, with support from UNESCO, initiates Artificial Intelligence policy update
Santiago, June 13, 2023.
The Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, along with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), initiated a series of participatory workshops today to update the country's National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.
The update of the AI policy will be carried out through an open, participatory process that involves the conduct of six workshops in different regions of the country, engaging various actors from the public and private sectors, academia, and social organizations.
The outcomes of these workshops will be a significant input for the update of the policy, which will be presented at the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Summit organized by the Ministry of Science, UNESCO Montevideo Office, and CAF in October of this year.
In this first workshop, titled "The Future of Artificial Intelligence in the State," around 30 people participated, and it was led by the Subsecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, Carolina Gainza, and the Responsible for the Social and Human Sciences Sector of UNESCO Montevideo Office, Eleonora Lamm.
Subsecretary Gainza acknowledged that there are many challenges related to education, digital literacy, the way people relate to each other and with technologies, as well as economic and social aspects when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). These challenges need to be addressed today because AI is already here.
Thinking together about what kind of society we want, with ethical frameworks, a rights-based perspective, oriented towards the common good and an inclusive society that allows the development of AI. Taking into account local context is crucial in this process. That is what we aim to achieve with the update of the National Artificial Intelligence Policy
It is crucial for countries to have human capacity, policies, and regulations to address the challenges posed by AI and ensure that people and their interests are always at the center of AI development
New methodology
Chile will be the first country in the region to apply the UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), a tool that enables the evaluation of how prepared a country is for the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative aligns with the update of its national AI policy.
RAM is a tool developed by UNESCO to assess the readiness of a country for the ethical and responsible implementation of AI. It evaluates five dimensions: Legal/Regulatory, Social/Cultural, Economic, Scientific/Educational, and Technological/Infrastructure. RAM highlights the institutional and regulatory changes that will be necessary. Its objective is to facilitate the implementation of UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which was approved in 2021 by its 193 Member States.
The utilization of RAM will be an integral part of this process, providing a comprehensive assessment of the country's status in the field of AI. It will offer an in-depth analysis that will help identify areas of strength as well as gaps that require further development for the ethical and responsible implementation of AI.
This step reflects the country's commitment to responsible AI development and sets a model for other countries in the region and around the world to follow.
This workshop will be followed by five others in the different macrozones of the country so that the update is participatory, inclusive and gathers the broadest experience and knowledge of AI specialists. The next workshop will be held on Friday 16th of June in Valparaíso.
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