Colombia’s government announced this quarter that it will contribute 50 billion pesos, or approximately $12.6 million USD, to the construction of an AI center in Bogotá.
The new center will be operated and managed by SENA, the country’s national training service. The building will be located in Usme, with the aim to promote digital education, close the technological gap and promote the ICT sector.
At the AI center individuals will receive training in areas including cybersecurity, cloud computing strategies, data analytics, and IoT, in addition to other areas.
The Bogotá center is the second one developed by the government of Colombia, following the first in the Zipaquirá Cundinamarca department.
Said ICT Minister Mauricio Lizcano in a statement from the government, “We are going to create another 100 AI centers in conjunction with the city halls, which will become connecting pillars in the regions to identify the potential for the union between actors, strategies and resources oriented toward public digital innovation.”
AI continues to be introduced to the public in Colombia, with the ministry recently announcing its plan to build 300 new innovation centers in the country that will focus on AI.
According Antoine Valentone, an international executive at Prezent, “AI can play a very important role in improving our business communication skills and helping us be more productive. For example, AI will help automate repetitive tasks such as composing emails, scheduling meetings, and summarizing conversations.”
Speaking on how AI can have an impact on SMEs in the region, he explained that automation will free up employee time to do more strategic work that requires a human touch.
He added that while the technology has continued to evolve, precautions should remain. For example, AI is not perfect, and its models can be biased, make errors, and lack the nuanced understanding that humans possess.