Governance

EBIA

Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

How the laws define this

Brazil’s national policy framework for artificial intelligence, known as the Estratégia Brasileira de Inteligência Artificial (EBIA), is established across both instruments as a national strategy to guide research, strategic actions, policy axes, and ethical AI development. Both ordinances affirm that EBIA provides national direction for managing AI technologies. However, the instruments diverge in how they define the structural scope and functional form of the initiative. Portaria MCTI nº 4.617 presents EBIA as a government-led strategic instrument that explicitly establishes nine thematic axes and 73 recommended strategic actions aimed broadly at research, development, innovation, and ethical use across sectors. In contrast, Portaria MCTI nº 4.979 defines EBIA specifically as an official strategy document published as an Annex to amend the earlier ordinance, shifting focus toward governance arrangements and concrete implementation priorities, including capacity building, data governance, and international cooperation, while omitting the specific count of thematic axes and recommended actions.

Synthesised from the 2 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.

What it triggers

Under Ordinance MCTI No. 4,979, of July 13, 2021, which is in force, the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Strategy sets Brazil's AI policy axes, strategic actions, governance arrangements and implementation priorities for research, capacity building, data governance, ethics, and international cooperation.source
Under Portaria MCTI nº 4.617, de 6 de abril de 2021, amended by Portaria n.º 4.979/2021, the Brazilian Strategy for Artificial Intelligence sets a national policy framework, nine thematic axes and 73 recommended strategic actions to guide research, development, innovation and the ethical use of AI across sectors in Brazil.

Definitions (2)

The official national strategy document (Estratégia Brasileira de Inteligência Artificial) published as the Annex to the ordinance that sets Brazil's AI policy axes, strategic actions, governance arrangements and implementation priorities for research, capacity building, data governance, ethics, and international cooperation.

Portaria MCTI nº 4.979, de 13 de julho de 2021 (Ordinance amending the EBIA annexes)Definition 1 of 2

A government-led strategic instrument instituted by Portaria MCTI n.º 4.617/2021 (amended by Portaria n.º 4.979/2021) that sets a national policy framework, nine thematic axes and 73 recommended strategic actions to guide research, development, innovation and the ethical use of AI across sectors in Brazil.

Portaria MCTI nº 4.617, de 6 de abril de 2021 (Ordinance instituting the Brazilian Strategy for Artificial Intelligence)Definition 2 of 2

Not to be confused with

PBIA

PBIA refers to the Plano Brasileiro de Inteligência Artificial as a national AI plan, while EBIA is the Estratégia Brasileira de Inteligência Artificial as the official national strategy document.

Plano Brasileiro de Inteligência Artificial (PBIA)

The Plano Brasileiro de Inteligência Artificial (PBIA) is described as Brazil's national AI strategy and implementation plan, whereas EBIA is the strategy instituted by specific ordinances focusing on policy axes and actions.

Questions and answers

What does the EBIA cover?

The EBIA sets Brazil's AI policy axes, strategic actions, governance arrangements and implementation priorities for research, capacity building, data governance, ethics, and international cooperation. It also includes a national policy framework, nine thematic axes and 73 recommended strategic actions to guide research, development, innovation and ethical AI use across sectors.

Is EBIA legally binding?

EBIA is a strategy document published as an annex to Ordinance MCTI No. 4,979, of July 13, 2021, which is in force, and instituted by Portaria MCTI nº 4.617/2021, amended by Portaria n.º 4.979/2021.

What is the current status of EBIA?

Ordinance MCTI No. 4,979, of July 13, 2021, is in force and updates the EBIA. Portaria MCTI nº 4.617/2021 instituted EBIA and was amended by Portaria n.º 4.979/2021.