Chile’s national AI policy

Chile’s National AI Policy is a comprehensive framework designed to guide the country’s development, adoption, and governance of artificial intelligence (AI). It was coordinated by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation (MinCiencia) with input from other ministries, academia, industry, and civil society. The document was finalised after a broad participatory process, including regional workshops, expert committees, and a public consultation.

Objective and guiding principles

The overarching objective is to position Chile among the leading countries in AI in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2031, aligning with OECD standards. The policy envisions an AI ecosystem that fosters research, innovation, and practical applications while ensuring social inclusion and sustainable development. Four cross-cutting principles shape its orientation:

1. AI centred on human well-being, rights, and security – ensuring respect for human rights and protection against discriminatory or unsafe use of algorithms.
2. AI for sustainable development – promoting technological use to diversify the economy, strengthen research ecosystems, and integrate environmental and social considerations.
3. Inclusive AI – reducing gaps related to gender, minorities, vulnerable groups, and regional disparities, ensuring that AI supports equality and participation.
4. Globalised and evolving AI – aligning Chile’s actions with international frameworks (e.g., OECD AI Principles, UNESCO guidelines) while developing context-specific responses to local needs.

Three strategic axes

The policy is structured around three interdependent axes:

1. Enabling factors
This axis addresses the foundations necessary for AI development:

• Talent development: integrating AI into school curricula, technical education, and higher education; reskilling workers; and incentivising advanced research training.
• Technological infrastructure: expanding connectivity (fibre optics, 5G, last-mile access), data centres, high-performance computing, and public–private projects such as the Data Observatory. Chile aims to become a hub for technological infrastructure in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Data: promoting open, high-quality, secure data ecosystems that support AI training while respecting privacy and rights.

2. Development and adoption
This axis focuses on fostering AI creation, innovation, and use in different sectors. It includes strengthening basic and applied research, promoting technology transfer, supporting entrepreneurship, modernising public services, and boosting industrial competitiveness. It emphasises collaboration between academia, the state, the private sector, and civil society to ensure broad adoption and relevance.

3. Ethics, regulation, and socioeconomic impacts
The third axis deals with the societal effects of AI. Topics include consumer protection, privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity and cyber defence, gender equity, and labour market transformation. The policy highlights the need for transparent, explainable AI frameworks to handle new forms of employment and safeguards against bias and exclusion.

Process and implementation

The policy was the product of a multi-year process starting in 2019, when MinCiencia identified AI as a general-purpose technology with strong potential impact on Chile’s future. A diverse expert committee, an interministerial group, and broad public participation shaped its contents. More than 6,000 people took part through workshops, consultations, and webinars. The final policy is accompanied by an AI Action Plan, which details concrete initiatives, responsible institutions, and timelines for the next decade