Chile - National AI Action Plan

Overview

The Plan de Acción is the implementation instrument accompanying Chile’s Política Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial, publicly launched by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation on 28 October 2021. It collects 70 priority actions and 185 related initiatives designed to guide public investment, regulatory reviews and sectoral interventions with a long-range vision for AI in Chile. The Plan frames AI as a tool to improve welfare and sustainable development while seeking to anticipate and mitigate social and rights-based risks. It is explicitly structured around three axes: Factores habilitantes (enabling factors), Desarrollo y adopción (development and adoption), and Ética, aspectos legales y regulatorios (ethical, legal and regulatory aspects). The Ministry published the complete policy and action plan as a downloadable document; the policy emphasizes a participatory elaboration process that included expert committees and over 8,000 contributions from citizens and stakeholders. Ministry of Science press release and the official policy document contain the full text and annexes. ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/noticias/chile-presenta-la-primera-politica-nacional-de-inteligencia-artificial/))

Definitions

The Plan adopts working definitions consistent with international practice and the OECD: AI is understood as a set of computational techniques and systems enabling automated decision-making and predictive capabilities, including machine learning and data-driven models. The document defines terms such as 'model transparency', 'bias', 'sandbox', 'upskilling', 'data governance' and 'last-mile connectivity' in a national glossary to align public procurement, research programs and regulatory reviews. Definitions prioritize human-centric and rights-respecting framings (e.g., AI with respect for fundamental rights, inclusion and sustainability) and situate terminology to allow cross-sectoral operationalization. The glossary is contained in the policy annex. ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://minciencia.gob.cl/uploads/filer_public/bc/38/bc389daf-4514-4306-867c-760ae7686e2c/documento_politica_ia_digital_.pdf))

Governance and Institutional Framework

The Plan positions the Ministry of Science as the principal coordinating entity responsible for implementation oversight, inter-agency coordination and reporting. It anticipates formalized working groups and technical committees that include the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), the Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel), the Ministries of Economy and Labor, and representatives from civil society, academia and industry. Institutional measures include creating monitoring mechanisms (semiannual progress reports), establishing a central implementation secretariat inside the Ministry, and recommending legal/regulatory diagnostics to identify gaps (consumer relations, labor impacts, IP, cybersecurity). The Plan recommends using public procurement and demonstration projects to lead by example (public sector pilots), and foresees public–private partnerships and international cooperation. For reference see the Ministry’s announcement and the downloadable policy document. MinCiencia announcement and the official policy PDF. ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/noticias/chile-presenta-la-primera-politica-nacional-de-inteligencia-artificial/))

Key Focus Areas

The Plan’s actions fall into thematic clusters that guide operational priorities: (1) Infrastructure & connectivity: promote data centers, cloud capacity and accelerate national 5G deployment to enable local AI workloads and data sovereignty; (2) Talent & education: scale up formal education, upskilling, vocational programs and doctoral scholarships linked to AI research and industry absorption; (3) R&D & innovation: strengthen incentives for research-industry collaboration, seed funding for startups and science-based entrepreneurship; (4) Public sector modernization: deploy AI pilots in selected public services and adapt procurement rules to acquire AI responsibly; (5) Data governance & open data: improve data quality, encourage interoperable standards and clarify privacy and data-sharing frameworks; (6) Ethics, regulation & rights: produce ethical guidance, regulatory impact analyses and legal reforms to protect consumers, workers and fundamental rights; (7) Cybersecurity & resilience: implement model-security practices, incident response planning and cyber-defensive measures for systems handling critical data. The Plan enumerates sectoral use cases (health, education, transport, agriculture) and maps concrete actions and responsible agencies. The Ministry publicly highlighted an indicative public investment envelope associated with priority actions and the participatory origin of the Plan. See the Ministry’s launch materials and the policy PDF for complete lists of the 70 priority actions. Policy PDF (actions list). ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://minciencia.gob.cl/uploads/filer_public/bc/38/bc389daf-4514-4306-867c-760ae7686e2c/documento_politica_ia_digital_.pdf))

Implementation Framework

The Plan proposes an implementation architecture with a central coordination unit inside the Ministry of Science, sectoral leads in relevant ministries, and cross-cutting technical groups (ethics, data governance, cybersecurity, skills). Implementation uses a mix of instruments: direct public investment programs, calls for proposals (ANID), regulatory diagnostics, pilot procurement processes and capacity-building initiatives. The document recommends establishing measurable indicators for each action, timelines and budgetary allocations where feasible. It also proposes sandboxes and controlled testbeds for regulated experimentation and calls for inclusive consultation mechanisms that incorporate civil society and regional stakeholders. The Plan emphasizes that it is a strategic instrument: many items require subsequent regulatory or budgetary decisions by the competent ministries and agencies. Full implementation depends on inter-ministerial agreements and annual budget cycles. ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://minciencia.gob.cl/uploads/filer_public/bc/38/bc389daf-4514-4306-867c-760ae7686e2c/documento_politica_ia_digital_.pdf))

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Plan includes monitoring provisions: the coordinating ministry must prepare periodic (semiannual) progress reports to document advances, challenges and re-prioritizations, and it suggests performance indicators tied to outputs (e.g., number of scholarships, R&D agreements, public pilots) and outcomes (e.g., adoption rates, workforce metrics). The Plan recommends a formal review at mid-point milestones and a public dashboard to improve transparency. It also encourages independent evaluation components (external audits or third-party reviews) to assess socio-economic impacts and rights-related risks. The Ministry’s announcement and the PDF indicate that monitoring is intended through 2026 for early-stage follow-up, with a longer ten-year horizon for strategic objectives. MinCiencia. ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/noticias/chile-presenta-la-primera-politica-nacional-de-inteligencia-artificial/))

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

As a strategy, the Plan itself does not create new administrative sanctions or criminal liabilities. Instead, it identifies legal domains where regulatory or legislative updates may be necessary (consumer protection, labor relations, data protection, IP, and cybersecurity). The document calls for diagnostic studies and potential statutory reforms to clarify liability and redress mechanisms for harms caused or attributable to AI systems. It also recommends strengthening dispute-resolution channels, enhancing transparency obligations and aligning administrative enforcement capabilities across agencies. Any penalties or appeals mechanisms would arise from subsequent sectoral regulation or amendments to existing frameworks (e.g., consumer law or privacy statutes). ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://minciencia.gob.cl/uploads/filer_public/bc/38/bc389daf-4514-4306-867c-760ae7686e2c/documento_politica_ia_digital_.pdf))

Relationship to Other Instruments

The Plan is nested within Chile’s broader national policy architecture: it complements the Política Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación and other sectoral strategies (digital connectivity, data centros, and talent development plans). It recommends coordination with ANID’s funding instruments, Subtel’s connectivity programs and the Economy and Labor ministries’ workforce policies. The Plan also references international standards and OECD/regionally aligned work on AI, and encourages harmonization with sectoral regulations (health, finance, transport) to ensure consistency. The Ministry’s public page and the downloadable document list related strategies and cross-references to existing national plans. Traspaso / public record listing. ([traspaso.digital.gob.cl](https://traspaso.digital.gob.cl/publica/actas/gestion/24.html?utm_source=openai))

International Alignment

The Plan expressly situates Chile within a network of countries developing AI strategies (e.g., regional neighbors and OECD members). It commits to aligning definitions and best practices with international instruments, to pursuing bilateral and multilateral cooperation (research exchanges, standards, data sharing agreements) and to participating in forums that advance ethics and governance norms. The document cites OECD and international literature for conceptual framing and signals an intent to keep Chile’s policy interoperable with evolving international regulatory norms. Policy PDF. ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://minciencia.gob.cl/uploads/filer_public/bc/38/bc389daf-4514-4306-867c-760ae7686e2c/documento_politica_ia_digital_.pdf))

Implementation Timeline

(Dates and milestones are those described in the policy and its supporting materials; individual actions require sectoral budget approvals and inter-agency coordination). ([minciencia.gob.cl](https://minciencia.gob.cl/uploads/filer_public/bc/38/bc389daf-4514-4306-867c-760ae7686e2c/documento_politica_ia_digital_.pdf))

Sources and References