Our Director, Ana Basco, had the honor of participating as a commentator in the presentation of the book Atlas of Artificial Intelligence for Human Development in Latin America and the Caribbean by UNDP, authored by Gustavo Béliz and hosted by Austral University in Buenos Aires.
It was a profound and much-needed conversation about the kind of future we want to build in this new era of AI, alongside an outstanding panel that included Felipe Larraín, Julio Conte Grand, and Enrique Zuleta Puceiro, moderated by Jorge Vilas Díaz Colodrero.
In her remarks, Ana highlighted how the Atlas is simultaneously a technical-policy document, a philosophical essay, and a poetic text that rigorously and comprehensively interprets the era in which we live. The book describes this new age as the AI-Cene, comparable to the Anthropocene, in which AI is not simply a technology that changes the way we work, communicate, produce, or conduct business, but also one that impacts mental health, cognition, well-being, emotions, and many other aspects of human life.
Ana also described the Atlas as a Manifesto because it establishes a clear normative position: technology must expand human capabilities and protect human dignity, never erode them. To that end, it issues a categorical and compelling call to action.
The book adopts a humanistic approach—with Sen-inspired reflections on capabilities—which is essential for a region marked by profound economic, social, and territorial inequalities. In such a context, AI should serve as a tool to reduce these challenges rather than deepen them, and should not become yet another source of inequality.
👉 The event also featured discussions on the role of the State in this new environment characterized by accelerating technological change, the concentration of computing power, and growing digital dependency. Participants reflected on the role that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) should play in this context. Greater regional integration, supported by clear roadmaps, its own standards and auditing mechanisms, and prudent yet intelligent regulation, was identified as a priority. Equally important is strengthening ties with the Global North, with the aim of moving from being a mere observer to becoming a central actor in the profound transformation currently underway. A difficult challenge, certainly, but one that is both necessary and full of opportunity.