Latin America and the Caribbean Unite on Ethical AI Roadmap

• Over 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have agreed to a new roadmap for ethical artificial intelligence (AI) policies.
• The initiative, part of the Santo Domingo Declaration, includes the creation of a permanent regional group of specialists to combat disinformation.
• The 2026-2027 roadmap focuses on five strategic pillars: governance, talent, protection of vulnerable groups, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure.

Strategic Objectives

• The AI ethics working group will be established as a permanent body to coordinate and monitor progress, with annual ministerial summits scheduled.
• Practical actions include developing a playbook for disinformation, launching open courses on AI skills, and implementing training to integrate gender perspectives into public policy.
• Supported by UNESCO and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the framework emphasizes human rights and sustainable development.

Regional Challenges

• Experts warn that Latin America is one of the world's most unequal regions, meaning AI governance will either bridge or widen existing societal gaps.
• Rapid technology adoption currently outpaces institutional regulation, leaving women, indigenous groups, Afro-Caribbean communities, and informal workers vulnerable to algorithmic bias and job displacement.
• Scholars emphasize the need for digital literacy and caution that current regional agreements lack a focus on "technological sovereignty," or the ability for the region to leverage its own knowledge.

AI and Disinformation

• Disinformation, amplified by AI, is seen as a direct threat to democratic processes and press freedom, particularly in a region with frequent elections.
• Specialists note there is no mathematical solution to differentiate between true and false content produced by generative AI models, making this a global risk.
• Critics worry that uncritical adoption of AI in education and media could lead to the homogenization of thought, the erasure of regional historical memory, and increased exploitation of workers through productivity pressure.