CHILE ADOPTS NATIONAL AI POLICY AND INTRODUCES AI BILL FOLLOWING UNESCO´S RECOMMENDATIONS

Key Highlights

• Chile’s Ministry of Science and UNESCO collaborate to update the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.
• Chile will be the first country in the region to adopt UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM)
• The country also proposed an AI Bill that seeks to regulate the AI while addressing the issues and threats posed by the technology

Introduction

CHILE, following the recommendations of the UNESCO provided under “Chilean AI Readiness Assessment Report”, adopted a National AI Policy and action plan to promote responsible development of AI Systems.. By fostering an ecosystem conducive to AI research, innovation, and infrastructure, Chile seeks to position itself as a hub for advancement in AI technology. The policy was introduced on 2nd May in La Moneda in the presence of Ms Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General and Ms Aisén Etcheverry, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of Chile.

National AI BILL

Apart from the AI policy, the country also proposed an AI Bill that seeks to regulate the AI while addressing the issues and threats posed by the technology. The bill calls for implementation of human-centred values and guarantees the protection of public health, safety and fundamental rights while deploying AI Systems.  Further, the safety of consumers from the detrimental effects of AI is duly covered by the Bill. The bill follows a risk-based regulation similar to EU AI Act , classifying AI systems into different categories- an unacceptable risk; a high level of risk; a limited level of risk; and no evident risk.

UNESCO-RAM

It became the first country in the world to implement UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), marking it as a one of the leading country in Latin America in terms of AI Governance. RAM, developed by UNESCO, evaluates a country’s inclination across five significant dimensions: “Legal/Regulatory, Social/Cultural, Economic, Scientific/Educational, and Technological/Infrastructure”.  RAM aims to expedite the implementation of “UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence”, a landmark resolution adopted in 2021 by all 193 UNESCO Member States.

AI Action Plan

Further, Science Minister Andrés Couve unveiled an action plan comprising 70 priority measures and 185 initiatives from various public services. These initiatives span social and economic aspects, talent development, and sustainable growth. Collective collaboration was central to drafting the policy, with input from a committee of 12 leading AI experts. Their cross-sectional work ensures a holistic approach to AI development.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, commended Chile for shaping the trajectory of AI governance in the country. She stated that “Through its leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to ethical principles, Chile has emerged as a global leader in ethical AI governance, and we are proud that UNESCO has been an essential player to help achieve this benchmark.”

References :

Chile presents the first National Policy on Artificial Intelligence

https://www.gob.cl/en/news/chile-presents-first-national-policy-artificial-intelligence

Chile launches national AI policy and introduces AI bill – UNESCO

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/chile-launches-national-ai-policy-and-introduces-ai-bill-following-unescos-recommendatio