UNESCO launches Chile Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report

UNESCO has launched the Chile Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report. The publication of this report marks the first stage of a major initiative, in partnership with the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, to comprehensively analyse and improve AI readiness in four countries in Latin America and Africa (Chile, Brazil, Senegal and Morocco), as part of a broader tranche of ongoing work with more than fifty countries around the world.

UNESCO has worked with the Government of Chile and Foresight Consultancy for the last year to develop a comprehensive view of Chile's AI readiness, and to provide recommendations for the update of Chile's National AI Policy and the development of governance frameworks and institutions.

The project involved the completion of the Readiness Assessment Methodology, a wide-ranging diagnostic tool designed by UNESCO to help countries understand how prepared they are to implement AI ethically and responsibly for all their citizens.

The results of the Assessment were supplemented by a multistakeholder consultation with more than 300 AI experts, representatives from civil society, and members of the general public from across Chile, to understand their priorities and concerns about AI.

The report presents policy recommendations that take into account these strengths, weaknesses, and initiatives already put in place by the Government of Chile, to address governance gaps and ensure a responsible AI ecosystem aligned with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.

In particular, UNESCO recommends the development of regulatory sandboxes and the strengthening of data protection and cybersecurity laws to meet the challenges of new, more powerful AI models.

There are also highly innovative recommendations such as formulating AI strategies at the municipal level to suit local priorities, and convening a working group to assess the impact of AI on culture. These are areas in which Chile stands poised to lead the implementation of AI governance not only in the region but across the world.

In the area of capacity building, the focus is on developing human capital in the domain of AI – including promoting diversity, inclusion and gender equality in STEM, attracting investment in AI technological infrastructure, ensuring positive environmental impacts, and assessing and mitigating the impact of AI on the workforce via job retraining schemes.

This is not the time for pauses, but for action. AI is one of the most powerful tools countries have, and based on UNESCO's recommendations, Chile's digital ecosystem can thrive.