On March 9 to 11, 2020, the data and artificial intelligence workshop, organized by ILDA and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada, was held in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Data Coordinator of Cepei, Fredy Rodríguez, made an intervention on artificial intelligence and data in Latin America, where he presented the main findings and results of our work in relation to big data and the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Data is a crucial resource to boost digital economies, governance and communication. Artificial intelligence and evidence-based decision-making are driving new innovations and transformative social changes, both positive and negative.
This multidisciplinary workshop will take stock of current research in developing countries on data and AI issues. It will explore joint agendas and emerging tensions, explore ongoing research gaps, seeking to identify how new collaborations can inform policy to use data and AI for social good.
Key questions
How can we use data and AI to create a more inclusive and equitable society? What tools, approaches, policies, innovations and research do we need? What can we learn from our previous work on openness, privacy, data, security, internet governance, gender and information systems? These and other questions were addressed during the working sessions.
Objective
Explore and share emerging ideas about data, artificial intelligence and society in a 3-day workshop.
Cepei’s contributions to the workshop
It was an enriching experience for Cepei to participate in this multidisciplinary meeting. Our Data Coordinator, Fredy Rodríguez, discussed the main findings and results of our work in relation to big data and the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The methodologies for data analysis based on artificial intelligence and non-traditional data sources allow better monitoring of social problems that are difficult to monitor with traditional data sources. Cepei has conducted a sentiment analysis, which identifies the most pressing problems faced by immigrants in Colombia and Costa Rica, which include human rights violations, security and poverty problems”
Cepei
Another issue presented by Cepei was that related to legal barriers in the use of big data for the monitoring of the SDGs. Big data is useful to monitor the implementation progress of the 2030 Agenda; however, there are some regulatory policies that limit the use of data. Rodríguez presented a document elaborated by Cepei, which shows the main legal barriers related to the use of data, in four Latin American and the Caribbean countries (Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic), especially when it refers to personal information management.