Launch Webinar: The Strategic and Responsible Use of AI in the Public Sector of Latin America and the Caribbean

The digital transformation is shaping our economies and societies in a rapid and continuous way. As seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis has accelerated this trend, with digital tools and data gaining strategic relevance for the OECD and LAC governments to mitigate its impact on people’s lives. In this path, the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector promise to improve service delivery, generate productivity gains and improve efficiency in public sector institutions. Like governments elsewhere, those in Latin America and the Caribbean are seeking to tap into the immense potential of AI in a strategic and trustworthy manner, increasingly using AI for public sector innovation and transformation, redefining how they design and deliver policies and services.

While digital technologies, including AI and data can create new opportunities for improved well-being and prosperity, they also pose challenges to secure that fundamental democratic values and human rights are safeguarded and promoted – including mis- and dis-information, biased representation and restricted consent of citizens in public sectors’ data governance frameworks. Governments have a critical role in shaping the human-centred and trustworthy digital transformation of their public sectors, including the use of AI. In this context, LAC governments can benefit from strategic approaches, policy levers and adopting values-based frameworks for digital governments to ensure fairness, inclusion, and equity in the design, operation and delivery of digitally-enabled services – such as the Good Practice Principles on Data Ethics in the Public Sector developed by the OECD under the leadership of the Netherlands, and the support of Canada and the United Kingdom.

The 4^th Meeting of the OECD-CAF Network of Open and Innovative Governments aims to foster policy dialogue and peer learning about LAC governments’ policy challenges to advance an ethical and values-based digital transformation. In this Meeting, we will launch the report The Strategic and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector of Latin America and the Caribbean, developed by the OECD in collaboration with CAF, Development Bank of Latin America. This report examines the approaches taken by LAC governments to secure AI governance in the public sector, including key institutional capacities, the role of AI strategies and key enablers to promote the use of AI in the public sector. Likewise, the report examines AI use cases in governments as well as trustworthy and ethical approaches to AI in the public sector. In addition to the presentation of the report, two discussion panels will be held with country delegates and specialists about the challenges and opportunities of AI in the public sector and the ethical implications of digital governments and promoting a human-centric and fair adoption and use of digital technologies, including AI and data in public sector organisations.

Delegates are invited to reflect and discuss common challenges and best practices at national and regional levels to support the coherent adoption of ethical principles in the digitalisation of LAC governments.

Agenda

16h00– 16h20 – Opening remarks:

• Janos Bertok, Deputy Director Public Governance Directorate, OECD
• Carlos Santiso, Director of Digital Transformation, CAF
• Barbara Ubaldi, Acting Head, Open and Innovative Government Division, Public Governance Directorate, OECD

16h20 – 17h10 Panel 1: Challenges and opportunities in the use of AI in the public sector in LAC governments

This session presents the main results of The Strategic and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector of Latin America and the Caribbean report anddiscuss challenges and opportunities in using AI in the public sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. The session will discuss opportunities, challenges and risks of deploying AI-based solutions in the public sector:

• How can artificial intelligence systems in the public sector improve efficiency, policy formulation, and service design and delivery? Could you please provide specific examples in Latin American countries?
• How can artificial intelligence systems in the public sector promote fairness, inclusion, and equity in Latin American countries? How can governments mitigate risks, including the reinforcement of societal bias, in the use of AI in the public sector?
• How can government leverage talent and capacities from the private sector and civic society to deliver value using AI-based solutions?
• How can governments foster cross-border collaboration in AI governance in the current Latin American context?

17h10 – 17h50 Panel 2: Promoting an ethical use of digital technologies and data in LAC governments

This session will discuss how LAC countries are addressing issues related to ethical use of data and digital technologies in governments. The discussion will focus on the most fundamental ethical considerations for digital governments in the region, the challenges to effectively embed digital ethics in LAC governments, and the existing policy levers and good practices to secure the coherent adoption of ethical principles in digital transformation in the region:

• What are the critical ethical considerations in LAC countries for a fair and human-centred government digital transformation?
• What barriers are constraining the promotion and adoption of frameworks for the ethical use of data and digital technologies, including AI, in governments in the region?
• How can governments promote and secure adherence to ethical principles and guidelines within the public sector? What are the actions needed for this purpose?

17h50 – Closing remarks (OECD)

• Barbara Ubaldi, Acting Head of Open and Innovative Government Division, Head of the Digital Government and Data Unit, OECD