Brazil’s Artificial Intelligence Investment Plan (PBIA for short) could harm the interests of so-called “Big Tech.” This is what Brazil’s Science and Technology Minister Luciana Santos told Brazilian daily O Estado de S. Paulo over the weekend. Although they are protecting national sovereignty, Brazil is open to dialogue and collaboration with technology companies, the minister said.
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Last week, the Brazilian government Investment Plan for Artificial Intelligence (AI) The amount of 23 billion reais (3.7 billion euros) was presented at the opening of the 5th National Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation (5CNCTI) in Brasilia. Investment plan (PDF) aims to lead the ethical and sustainable development and application of AI in Brazil. This includes guidelines ranging from research and development to the regulation of practices that ensure the protection of citizens’ privacy. Among other things, he plans to purchase one of the five most powerful supercomputers in the world. Latin America’s largest economy wants to achieve technological autonomy and competitiveness in the AI sector and is pursuing “national sovereignty” instead of relying on AI tools imported from other countries.
National sovereignty is the goal of AI
“To the extent that we value sovereignty and autonomy, it harms the interests of big tech companies,” Santos said. In an exclusive interview with O Estado de S. Paulo. “Because we will no longer depend on the clouds of large companies to store our data, which is Brazilian.” According to the minister, national data will no longer be stored in the clouds of international companies. When developing the plan, the Brazilian government had already indicated the impact on the interests of large technology companies. Santos said representatives of major technology companies were invited to seminars while the plan was being developed.
Despite all the emphasis on Brazil’s sovereignty, the minister supports cooperation with technology companies. “We want cooperation, we want common development, on the contrary we are not closed. We will need international cooperation,” he stressed. Above all, Brazil still lacks the necessary technical know-how. “We need a type of semiconductor that can be used to obtain the desired storage capacity in computer servers, and the needs for batteries, that is, to install supercomputers, are very important,” Santos said.
Brazil’s investment plan includes funding for AI initiatives in sectors such as public health, agriculture, environment, economy, and education. Many of these initiatives involve developing AI systems to facilitate customer service and other operational processes. The proposal aims to provide Brazil with an advanced technological infrastructure with high processing capacity powered by renewable energy, including a new supercomputer. It will also develop advanced language models in Portuguese based on national data and incorporating Brazil’s cultural, social, and linguistic characteristics.
“A milestone in the history of our country”
According to the Brazilian government, the 23 billion reais set aside for the AI investment plan will be distributed between 2024 and 2028. It said that about 14 billion reais (2.2 billion euros) will flow into corporate innovation projects, and more than 5 billion reais (800 million euros) will flow into AI infrastructure and development. The remaining funds will be divided between training initiatives, public service reforms and AI regulation support measures, as well as the so-called Immediate Impact Initiative.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the proposed investment plan “a milestone in the history of our country.” “Instead of waiting for AI to come from China, the US, South Korea or Japan, why not have our own AI?” He said“Our artificial intelligence must be intelligent. And we must turn it into a source of employment for our country and train millions of young people who are ready for this debate,” he said. “Brazil must learn to fly. It cannot depend on it for a lifetime, we must be brave enough to make changes.”
(AKN)
