UNESCO and CENIA sign a cooperation agreement to promote ethical AI, digital skills and AI literacy across education systems in Chile and Latin America.
UNESCO’s Regional Office in Santiago and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) have signed a cooperation agreement to promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence in education across Chile and Latin America.
The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration to strengthen AI literacy, develop digital competencies and promote ethical standards throughout the lifecycle of artificial intelligence systems.
The partnership was signed by Esther Kuisch Laroche, director of UNESCO’s Regional Office in Santiago, and Mónica Soto Pérez, CENIA’s chief operating officer.
Building AI Skills Across the Region
Under the agreement, the two organizations will coordinate initiatives focused on education and training for a wide range of audiences, including teachers, policymakers, technical teams and the general public.
The collaboration will also support the creation of adaptable training materials designed for different institutional contexts and encourage multi-stakeholder dialogue around the responsible use of emerging technologies.
The initiative aims to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems while ensuring that AI adoption remains aligned with ethical and human-centered principles.
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Latam-GPT to Support AI Education
One of the first milestones of the partnership will involve the integration of Latam-GPT, the region’s first open large language model designed specifically for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The model will support education ministries across the region and serve as a core component of UNESCO’s newly launched Regional Observatory on AI in Education, which seeks to monitor and guide the use of artificial intelligence in schools and learning environments.
Promoting Ethical and Inclusive AI
The agreement reflects UNESCO’s broader mandate to develop global frameworks and policy guidance for ethical and rights-based AI.
“Artificial intelligence represents a historic opportunity to transform our education and productive systems, but its development must be guided by clear ethical principles and a people-centered vision,” said Laroche. “This partnership with CENIA will help countries build the capacities and governance frameworks needed to ensure AI contributes to the common good.”
Soto Pérez said the collaboration would expand efforts to combine technical expertise with large-scale training initiatives.
“Technological progress must be accompanied by training, responsible frameworks and cross-sector collaboration,” she said. “This agreement represents a strategic step toward strengthening ethical and people-centered AI adoption across Latin America and the Caribbean.”
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Strengthening Regional Cooperation
Through the partnership, UNESCO aims to accelerate the development of policies and programs that reduce digital gaps while encouraging responsible innovation.
Officials said the collaboration underscores a broader effort to build a digital culture rooted in transparency, inclusion and respect for human rights as AI technologies continue to expand across the region.
