The Ministry of Telecommunications and the Information Society, led by Minister Roberto Kury, announced on March 10 the official launch of Ecuador’s Strategy for the Development and Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (EFIA). The initiative aims to promote technological democratization for citizens and support the country’s productive development.
The strategy is designed to encourage responsible innovation and create a trustworthy environment for emerging technologies. It also seeks to strengthen state institutions by ensuring that artificial intelligence remains centered on human needs.
During his remarks, Kury said, “The strategy establishes a clear roadmap to drive the development, adoption, and governance of artificial intelligence in Ecuador, under principles of transparency, ethics, inclusion, and respect for human rights. In this way, we seek to harness the potential of AI to optimize public services, energize the productive sector, and generate new opportunities for employment and economic growth.”
Vinicio Rodríguez, Chief Operations Officer at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Ecuador, said: “Artificial intelligence represents one of the greatest opportunities to transform our economies and improve public services. At IDB we are honored to have accompanied the Government of Ecuador in building this strategy, which sets out a clear roadmap for promoting responsible AI development and use in the country.” Laura Melo, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Ecuador added: “AI governance is also an exercise in social justice and defense of democracy. As UNESCO’s Recommendation on AI Ethics states: Unjust or inaccessible AI deepens divides; ethical, participatory and contextualized AI can become a powerful tool for human development.”
The EFIA is structured around three main pillars: governance focused on ethical frameworks; capacity-building through talent development and digital infrastructure; and adoption aimed at fostering research and innovation across both public and private sectors.
The event took place in Quito with participation from international organizations including Paula Acosta from IDB’s Institutional Capacity Division; Inka Mattila from UNDP; as well as various state authorities. The Ministry developed this strategy with technical support from IDB and UNESCO.
According to officials present at the event, this move reaffirms Ecuador’s commitment to responsible digital transformation that is ethical, inclusive, sustainable—and positions technology as a driver for national progress.
