IDB and Costa Rica promote ethical use of artificial intelligence

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) presented fAIr LAC Costa Rica. This initiative aims to promote, educate and regulate the development and ethical use of artificial intelligence. FAIr LAC positioned Costa Rica as a pioneer in the region in a topic that has increasingly interested more companies and world leaders.

In the country, the initiative had three main lines of action; the first was education, where the aim was to have a network of experts on the subject, who passed on their knowledge and raised awareness among the population.

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The second was based on developing tools to mitigate ethical risks and improve the quality of technology. The third sought to generate conversation about artificial intelligence and how it can be used successfully in health, education, and other fields.

The three main lines of action were:

Network of experts: a community that transmitted its knowledge and helped raise awareness of the opportunities of AI and the importance of its responsible use with an educational approach.

Solutions: The development of tools that mitigate ethical risks and improve the quality of technology in the country.

Communications: The hub focused on positioning the conversation about artificial intelligence and its possible uses in the country.

The fAIr LAC Costa Rica initiative was presented in a virtual event. Carlos Alvarado, President of the Republic, and Mauricio Claver-Carone, President of the IDB, shared their perspectives on the latest developments in artificial intelligence and the implications that this technology may have.

“We are very grateful and happy to be part of this fAIr LAC initiative, which seeks to promote the ethical and responsible use of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, both in public policy and in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Undoubtedly, how this initiative is conceived will not only boost SMEs in the technology sector, but will also allow us to promote foreign direct investment and, consequently, foster quality employment in the country for our young people,” said President Carlos Alvarado.

The fAIr LAC initiative sought to ensure the responsible and widespread adoption of artificial intelligence in Latin America and the Caribbean based on a platform designed to develop standards and tools to guide the responsible use of this technology.

Through experimentation with case studies, fAIrLAC sought to promote the generation of knowledge of the ethical risks of using AI in social services and how to mitigate them and lead a dialogue based on diversity, inclusion, and centered on citizenship.

“All these developments (of information technologies) must be done in a responsible way using this knowledge for socioeconomic development, without losing sight of the ethics in its application and the search for the greatest good for all people. From MICITT, we will continue to promote the development of artificial intelligence under these fundamental principles for our society”, said the Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, Paola Vega Castillo.

This project was carried out thanks to an alliance involving entities from the country’s public sector (Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, Ministry of Public Education, Costa Rican Social Security Fund, Single System of State Beneficiaries, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade); academia (Technological Institute of Costa Rica, State of the Nation Program, INCAE, and 10xAcademy); private companies (Microsoft, Intel, AFZ); and the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), as representative of civil society.

“Latin America and the Caribbean will not be able to recover from this crisis without making use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, which is why digital transformation is a fundamental pillar of our Vision 2025 ‘Reinvest in the Americas,’ our roadmap for a sustainable and inclusive recovery in the region. We know that adopting these technologies involves challenges, and that is why through fAIrLAC Costa Rica, we want to support governments, companies, and entrepreneurs so that they can take advantage of the benefits of artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly” said Mauricio Claver-Carone, President of the IDB.

“fAIr LAC is an important step towards the technological, sustainable, and responsible transformation we are aiming for. According to the World Economic Forum data, our human talent is the first place in digital skills in Latin America. Projects like this strengthen the generation of more quality talent and, at the same time, generates public policy for a better investment climate, two key issues for the attraction of companies in the sector to our country,” said Jorge Sequeira, General Director of CINDE.

Artificial intelligence has been a technology that has experienced exponential growth in recent years and still has enormous potential to benefit human beings, cultures, societies, and the environment. However, irresponsible use has brought risks and challenges, deepening existing gaps in ethnic, gender, and other issues.