In October 2023, the Dominican Republic launched its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, signalling a major step forward in the country's technological development. The strategy aims to harness AI's potential while prioritising ethical considerations and responsible implementation.
At the core of the strategy is the concept of "Smart Governance," which emphasises the ethical use of AI and digitisation of public administration. Key objectives include promoting ethical and responsible AI development, strengthening data protection laws and regulations, and implementing AI systems in justice, health, education, security, and transportation. The government plans to deploy chatbots and digital assistants based on generative AI, use predictive AI models to identify citizens' needs and issues, and leverage AI to combat corruption and fraud.
The strategy also calls for establishing criteria to monitor, assess, and measure the performance of AI-based public services, with a focus on algorithmic transparency and data quality. This approach demonstrates the country's commitment to responsible AI governance and public accountability.
On the international stage, the Dominican Republic has been actively involved in regional AI initiatives. The country has participated in the Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Initiative, endorsed the UNESCO Recommendation on AI Ethics, and signed the 2023 Santiago Declaration to Promote Ethical Artificial Intelligence. Currently, the nation is completing UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology to support effective implementation of ethical AI guidelines.
The National AI Strategy takes a strong stance against the militarisation of AI, explicitly stating the goal of prohibiting the use of AI as a weapon of war. The Dominican Republic has endorsed the 2019 Declaration on Lethal Autonomous Weapons, co-sponsored and voted in favor of UN Resolution L.56 on autonomous weapons systems in 2023, and endorsed the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI and Autonomy.
While the Dominican Constitution enshrines the right to data protection, the country is working on updating its data protection laws. The National AI Strategy calls for revising existing legislation to include safeguards for personal data and human rights in AI implementation by 2025. This effort is crucial, as Freedom House ranked the Dominican Republic as "partly free" in 2024, noting ongoing challenges with corruption and discrimination.
As the Dominican Republic moves forward with its AI strategy, several key areas warrant attention. These include the practical implementation of ethical AI principles, the development of a comprehensive AI ethics code, and striking a balance between AI innovation and privacy concerns, particularly regarding surveillance technologies. Strengthening data protection laws and establishing independent oversight mechanisms will be critical to the strategy's success.
This country report is our interpretation and summary of the "CAIDP Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values Index 2023". The full report can be found here - https://www.caidp.org/reports/aidv-2023/