The First AI Latinamerican Summit
A few days ago, the “AI Latin American Summit” was held in Boston, the first Latin American summit on artificial intelligence organized by MIT. The event brought together 70 exhibitors from the region and more than 250 interested parties from 25 Latin American countries.
The summit is MIT’s first AI initiative at the regional level. The main objective is to work in community to add debate and documentation for the development and implementation of public policies that favor the use and regulation of AI in Latin America.
The Topics
During 3 days, the discussion about the implementation of AI reached master classes, presentations and panels from the participating countries (such as Colombia, Mexico, Argentina or Peru) in MIT’s Media Lab. At the end of each of the days, discussion panels were held on different topics. For example, experts sought consensus on how to efficiently add AI in Latin America’s leading industries, or how to incorporate it into school curricula, in the public sector, NGOs, and the private sector. They discussed how it is being applied in each country, and its potential”
The conversations and debates raised at the AI summit will be compiled in a document oficial that will be published jointly with CEPAL (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), UNESCO and MIT. They point out that it will serve as a guide for governments, businesses and NGOs in Latin America.
The impact that AI is having in the region, the increase in productivity, the rapid changes that are manifesting in the industry and some of its applications, such as in communication systems and chatbots, were discussed. A unique space was opened to connect with experts and recognized people in the field; we met engineers, researchers, venture capitalists and AI specialists.
Next Steps
“AI is a powerful tool for the challenges we have in health, eradicating hunger, poverty, climate change, education, and making the State, industry and services more efficient. AI and public policy must be a priority from now on, since the most important issue in the world today is who and how data is handled. Without an AI strategy there is no future. Said Jorge Diaz Colodrero, lawyer and expert in new technologies and public policy.
At UNESCO, they understand that AI is a technology that strengthens the areas of life in general. That is why it is necessary for Latin America to get involved in these scientific and technological advances, to take a stand, to take advantage of them, to develop knowledge, to develop in schools, to prepare its population”.
This year, on September 21, 22 and 23, UNESCO will organize in Buenos Aires the Open Forum for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean, a regional event, which will have as one of its main axes the AI.
