The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is preparing a set of measures to expand Brazil’s capacity for the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on technological sovereignty and its own infrastructure. The package was announced this Thursday (20), in Rio Grande do Norte, at an event with the participation of the president.
The actions involve the purchase of a new supercomputer, partnerships to develop artificial intelligence models, training professionals, building computational capacity and investing in open architecture technologies. The strategy is part of the new Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan (PBIA).
Strategic importance
According to Rogério da Veiga, Secretary of Action and Articulation of Social Policies at the Civil House, artificial intelligence represents a new stage in the transformations caused by the digitalization of the economy and public services.
“Digital is a priority for the Lula government and it has already transformed the economy, society and public services,” he stated. For him, the expansion of artificial intelligence requires the country to be prepared to deal with a transformation that is already occurring on a global scale.
In the secretary’s assessment, three pillars are fundamental for Brazil to advance in the area: infrastructure, artificial intelligence models and data. “The three deliveries that are now in place are in dialogue with these three pillars”, he said.
Plan details
The acquisition of a supercomputer, according to the government, will expand Brazilian processing capacity. The structure will be installed in Rio Grande do Norte, but will serve researchers, universities, companies, startups and research centers from different regions of the country.
The proposal is to start with a smaller machine and expand its capacity according to demand. The strategy was presented as a way to also face the difficulties of accessing high-capacity equipment on the international market.
The Secretary of Science and Technology for Digital Transformation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Henrique Miguel, stated that computational infrastructure is one of the main bottlenecks for the development of artificial intelligence in the country. “The most important of them, and the most discussed in the world”, he stated.
Miguel also highlighted the need to train specialized professionals and expand national research and development capacity. For him, the qualification of labor was also identified “as a factor of sovereignty and a strategic aspect on this route to artificial intelligence”.
The government also intends to advance in the development of open architectures for chips, especially RISC-V. The technology, according to Miguel, will contribute to the construction of components used in supercomputing systems with “open processors”, without the country becoming dependent on proprietary technologies.
The strategy also foresees cooperation with foreign companies and institutions. The government’s assessment is that building technological autonomy does not mean isolation, but the ability to develop its own solutions and establish partnerships under more favorable conditions.
The package also includes the creation of a National Center for Trustworthy AI Algorithmic Transparency, aimed at developing methodologies to evaluate artificial intelligence systems, identify risks, biases, failures and possible discrimination. The initiative should work in partnership with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and will also have the function of supporting public policies related to the use of artificial intelligence.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
