Colombia - National AI Policy (CONPES 4144)

Overview

CONPES 4144, approved on 14 February 2025 by the Departamento Nacional de Planeación (DNP), establishes Colombia's national policy for artificial intelligence (AI) and a multi-year roadmap to 2030. The document sets out strategic objectives, funding estimates and over 100 concrete actions to promote responsible AI development, adoption and governance across public and private sectors. The policy emphasizes inclusive economic transformation, closing territorial and skills gaps, protecting fundamental rights and aligning Colombia with international best practices. The official publication and primary document are available through the DNP/SisCONPES portal and related press releases (see SisCONPES - CONPES 4144 and the DNP summary at DNP publication).

Definitions

The policy provides working definitions for terms used throughout the document, including "artificial intelligence" (systems that act with varying levels of autonomy by processing data to perform tasks), "high-risk AI systems" (those with the potential to significantly affect fundamental rights or critical functions), "model documentation" (technical and non-technical descriptions required for transparency), and "public interest uses" (deployments by public agencies to deliver social services). These definitions orient subsequent recommendations but leave detailed legal definitions for sectoral regulators and future normative instruments.

Governance and Institutional Framework

CONPES 4144 sets an institutional architecture for AI governance centered on the DNP as policy steward, with operational leadership and technical roles assigned to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias). The policy mandates inter-institutional coordination across ministries (Education, Health, Defense, Labor, Commerce) and proposes creation of coordination bodies and technical working groups to align actions, share data and monitor impact. It also tasks sectoral regulators with issuing sector-specific guidance and enforcement mechanisms. For details and institutional contact points, see the MinTIC announcement at MinTIC press release and the DNP public note at DNP news.

Key Focus Areas

The policy organizes action lines into thematic blocks: (1) Governance & normative development: creating roadmaps for secondary regulation, codes of conduct and sectoral guidance; (2) Risk management & safety: articulating a risk-based classification and prioritizing high-risk uses for additional safeguards, testing and conformity assessment; (3) Data & privacy: enabling responsible data sharing, interoperability and alignment with data protection norms; (4) Capacity building & talent: investing in education, research and workforce reskilling; (5) Public sector adoption & experimentation: piloting AI for public services while ensuring accountability; (6) Infrastructure & R&D: developing national research platforms, compute and model repositories where appropriate; (7) Transparency & accountability: requiring documentation, model cards and audit trails for AI systems used in public administration; and (8) International cooperation: engaging multilaterally and adopting international technical standards. The document budgets an estimated investment envelope to 2030 and sets measurable indicators for results and coverage.

Implementation Framework

Implementation is structured through an action plan with milestones, assigned institutional responsibilities and a monitoring system (PAS - Plan Anual de Seguimiento). The DNP is assigned oversight of progress reporting and indicator collection; MinTIC and Minciencias lead technical and research actions; sectoral ministries co-design sector-specific pilots and guidance. The policy calls for the development of regulatory proposals where necessary (e.g., procurement rules, conformity assessment procedures, sectoral prohibitions or restrictions) while emphasizing that legal changes will follow existing legislative or regulatory processes. Implementation also contemplates public consultations, open data initiatives and partnerships with academia and the private sector to operationalize pilots and talent programs.

Monitoring and Evaluation

A monitoring and evaluation framework is established using PAS tools and outcome indicators spanning capabilities (talent and R&D), territorial adoption, ethical compliance and service improvements. The DNP will publish periodic progress reports and maintain a results dashboard; ministries are required to report on assigned actions and indicators. The policy emphasizes adaptive management: indicators and targets will be reviewed, and corrective actions proposed if milestones are missed. Public transparency of progress is expected through official portals and periodic communication from the Presidency and implementing ministries.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

As a CONPES policy, CONPES 4144 does not itself create new criminal or administrative penalties. Instead, it mandates the design of sector-specific enforcement mechanisms and recommends alignment with existing legal frameworks (including Colombia's data protection regime and sectoral regulatory regimes). The document therefore foresees that liability, administrative sanctions and appeals will be handled under existing laws or under future binding regulations that implement elements of the policy. The policy instructs sectoral regulators to define liability pathways and redress mechanisms for affected users where AI systems cause harm.

Relationship to Other Instruments

CONPES 4144 positions itself as a cross-cutting policy aligned with Colombia's data protection law, consumer protection regimes, sectoral health and financial regulations, and public procurement rules. It complements previous national digital strategies and the national science and technology plans and proposes coordination with initiatives such as the national big-data policy and education strategies. Implementing measures will reference and build upon these instruments rather than superseding them; any divergence that requires legal change will be addressed through standard legislative or regulatory processes.

International Alignment

The policy expressly references international standards and guidance (including WHO guidance for AI in health and emerging EU and OECD frameworks) and commits to multilateral cooperation on research, capacity building and standards harmonization. It highlights participation in international initiatives and exchanges to align Colombia with best practices on model evaluation, safety testing and rights protection. The policy encourages adoption of internationally recognized technical and governance standards and stresses interoperability to facilitate cross-border research and trade.

Implementation Timeline

Sources and References