Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wants to present the country’s stance on artificial intelligence (AI) to the world later this year. The goal was highlighted during an advisory meeting last week, attended by the nation’s top officials and experts.
Lula chaired the inaugural meeting of the National Science and Technology Council, his advisory body on science and technology, on Thursday (8). The meeting focused on the challenges and opportunities AI presents for Brazil’s development, covering topics such as risks, the technology’s impact on the job market, and data integrity.
As the president of the G20 and BRICS next year, Lula stressed the importance of shaping the Global South’s agenda around AI. He emphasized that Brazil cannot “follow in tow in this area” and requested a proposal from experts to be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“Often, we fail to act because we overthink and overtheorize. We need to think and act. We need a concrete policy on artificial intelligence,” Lula said during the meeting.
The experts at the meeting agreed on the need for regulation and the establishment of rules focused on human rights and augmentation rather than replacement. Luciana Santos, Brazil’s Minister of Science and Technology, mentioned that the country’s industrial sector must evolve to integrate technologies like AI.
“For Brazil to hold autonomy in the global AI scenario, it must not only use the technology but also produce it,” Santos said, adding this is essential to prevent an “abyss between countries.”