Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education for Latin America

Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean holds first meeting of member institutions

The UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and Office for UN Coordination in Latin America and the Caribbean convened the first meeting of member institutions of the Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting brought together multilateral organizations, universities, research centres, foundations and private sector partners. They reviewed the Observatory's first months of work and started shaping its agenda for 2027.

Since its launch at UN ECLAC headquarters in April 2026, during the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, the Observatory has grown from a proposal into an operational multi-stakeholder platform, bringing together institutions, expertise and resources around a shared agenda for AI and education. The meeting marked a new phase in its development, with member institutions taking a more active role in advancing its work.

“Artificial intelligence is already transforming education in our region, and we face the challenge of guiding these changes in an informed and responsible manner,” said Esther Kuisch Laroche, director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago. “This observatory exists so that ministries, researchers, and partners can learn from one another and make better decisions, grounded in evidence and shared ethical principles”

The Observatory is the first regional platform anchored in the United Nations system dedicated to artificial intelligence in education. It rests on a simple conviction: AI cannot govern education; education must govern AI.

As a regional public good, it serves ministries of education and the wider education ecosystem, maintains technical independence, and makes its data, methodologies and tools openly available. These principles draw directly on the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted by all Member States in 2021.

The initiative grew out of the Regional Alliance for Educational Transformation and Innovation (ARTIE), the network that brings together innovation focal points from the ministries of education of 33 countries. Digital transformation and artificial intelligence were identified by the Regional Steering Committee for SDG4 (RSC) as one of the priorities for 2026–2027, with the Observatory serving as a key platform for advancing regional cooperation in this area. It will engage with countries through ARTIE’'s network of digital transformation and AI leads.

Early progress across three areas of work

The Observatory's work is organized into three areas: data and evidence, capacity development, and knowledge exchange and innovation. Governance, ethics and human rights run through all three.

Regarding data and evidence, the Observatory is designing a regional survey on AI-related policies in education systems. Once completed, it will provide countries with comparable information for the first time on regulatory frameworks, national strategies, teacher preparation and data protection measures. Several member institutions reviewed the concept note and the questionnaire. A thematic study on inclusive technologies and AI is also under way. It explores how these tools can reduce barriers for learners with disabilities, and the risks they pose when their design does not account for diversity.

In terms of capacity development, the Observatory team is adapting UNESCO's AI competency frameworks for students and teachers to the realities of Latin America and the Caribbean. The resulting platform will combine the frameworks with self-assessment tools and tailored training. A new regional programme, the Diploma in AI Leadership in Education, developed in collaboration with IIPE, is aimed at decision-makers and technical teams who design, implement and evaluate AI-related education policies.

To promote knowledge exchange, the Observatory presented its work at UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week in Paris in September, where it held a session on AI governance and education in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is also working with its members and other strategic partners across the region on a series of events and knowledge-sharing activities to be held through the end of 2026, including Montevideo, Santiago and Rio de Janeiro, among other locations.

Also, the Observatory has developed a website in Spanish and English that offers a growing collection of resources, evidence and relevant materials on AI and education for policymakers, practitioners, researchers and the broader education community.

The Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean is a regional initiative led by the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and Office for UN Coordination in Latin America and the Caribbean. It brings together the ministries of education of 33 countries, multilateral organizations, development banks, universities, civil society and the private sector. Together, they generate evidence, strengthen capacities and promote an ethical, equitable and human-centred use of artificial intelligence in education. The Observatory is also supported by a group of advisors: Esther Kuisch-Laroche (UNESCO), Andrés Delich (Organization of Ibero-American States, OEI), Lucía Dellagnelo (OECD) and Fernando Reimers (Harvard University), as well as Loreto Bravo, Carlos Coello Coello and Teresa Ludermir, members of the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

The first meeting of member institutions brought together representatives of multilateral organizations, including Sergio Scarabino (International Telecommunication Union, ITU) and Daniela Trucco (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC), and of development banks, through Miriam Preckler (CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean). Research and innovation centres were represented by Daniela Costa (Cetic.br), Pía Ibarra and Víctor Morales (National Center for Artificial Intelligence, CENIA), and Belén Martino, Carolina Duer and Federico Martínez (Ceibal Foundation). Foundations and companies participated through Luciano Dias Monteiro (Santillana Foundation), Milada Tonarelli (ProFuturo Foundation) and Fernando Tamagnini (Blackboard), and universities through Sofía Fuentes Jarpa and Linda González (Tecnológico de Monterrey), Mauricio Bravo (Universidad del Desarrollo), Cristóbal Madero Cabib and Joaquín Cortés (Universidad Alberto Hurtado), and Gustavo Pavez and Patricia Ibáñez (Universidad Autónoma de Chile). Institutes of the UNESCO ecosystem also took part, through Manuel Alcaíno (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UIS) and Fernando Salvatierra (IIEP-UNESCO). The UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago was represented by its Director, Esther Kuisch-Laroche, together with Valtencir Mendes, Amparo Naranjo, Alejandro Vera, Francisco Miguens, Sebastián Pereira and Paula Klenner.

Membership is formalized through a cooperation agreement with UNESCO, which defines the scope, modality and terms of collaboration according to the category and objectives of each organization.

Contact us at: observatory.ai.education@unesco.org