Uruguay’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy for Digital Government 

Uruguay’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy for Digital Government aims to promote and strengthen the responsible use of AI within the Public Administration.

The strategy sets the foundation for AI’s integration into Uruguay’s Public Administration. It emphasizes responsible, ethical, and transparent use of AI while ensuring that these technologies serve the general public’s interest, protect human rights, and contribute positively to the digital transformation of government services. The strategy is designed to evolve continuously, adapting to technological advancements and ensuring that AI’s implementation remains aligned with the values of transparency, accountability, and inclusion.

This comprehensive approach not only aims to harness the benefits of AI but also mitigates the potential risks and challenges associated with its deployment in the public sphere.

Introduction

Uruguay recognizes AI’s transformative potential, especially when coupled with large volumes of data. The strategy integrates AI into the broader framework of Uruguay’s Digital Agenda 2020 and the 2018-2020 Digital Government Plan. AI is positioned as a critical tool for enhancing decision-making, public service performance, and proactive government services.

General Principles

The strategy is grounded in several guiding principles to ensure AI’s responsible use:

• Purpose: AI should enhance human capabilities, improve quality of life, and add value to human activity.
• General Interest: AI solutions should protect the general interest, ensure inclusion and equity, and mitigate unwanted biases.
• Respect for Human Rights: AI must respect human rights, individual freedoms, and diversity.
• Transparency: AI applications must be transparent, with algorithms and data openly available, and processes clearly communicated.
• Responsibility: There must be clear accountability for actions taken by AI-based solutions.
• Ethics: Ethical dilemmas in AI must be addressed by humans, not machines.
• Added Value: AI should be used only when it adds value, not as an end in itself.
• Privacy by Design: AI must protect individuals’ privacy from the design stage.
• Security: AI developments must adhere to information security guidelines and regulations.

Pillars, Objectives, and Lines of Action

The strategy is organized around four main pillars, each with specific objectives and actions:

1. AI Governance in Public Administration

• Objective I: Identify the AI ecosystem in Uruguay by mapping stakeholders from public, private, academic, and civil sectors.
• Objective II: Define an AI Governance Model, including a framework with roles, responsibilities, standards, and procedures. This includes promoting transparency and monitoring AI’s impact.

2. Capacity Development

• Objective III: Generate capabilities for AI development and use within Public Administration through a comprehensive training program for Central Administration organizations.
• Objective IV: Create a Space for Learning to share best practices and experiences with AI among public and private sectors, both nationally and internationally.

3. Responsible Use

• Objective V: Develop technical guides for selecting problems, designing, and implementing AI-based solutions, with an emphasis on cloud services, data protection, and privacy.
• Objective VI: Promote algorithm transparency through standards for impact analysis, monitoring, and auditing.
• Objective VII: Design specific action plans for responsible AI use in strategic sectors, implementing pilots and concept tests.

4. AI and Digital Citizenship

• Objective VIII: Raise awareness and build citizen trust in AI by implementing campaigns to educate the public on AI’s role in Public Administration. This includes enhancing citizens’ digital intelligence to better interact with AI solutions.