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Cuenca, June 2, 2025 – As part of Science Week organized by the Catholic University of Cuenca, UNESCO's Representative in Ecuador, Tatiana Villegas Zamora, delivered a keynote lecture entitled "The Ethical Approach to AI: Democracy and Techno-Futures". Her address highlighted the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence (AI) poses for democracy and equity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

During her presentation, Villegas made a strong call for building technological governance that places ethics, human rights, and the common good at the center of digital development. “What is at stake is not merely the advancement of new tools, but the kind of society we want to build,” she affirmed, addressing university authorities, researchers, and students.

The event was presided over by Dr. Enrique Pozo Cabrera, Rector of the Catholic University of Cenca; Dr. Bolívar Cabrera, Vice-Rector for Research; economist Vanessa Bermeo, Academic Vice-Rector; and Dr. Orlando Álvarez, Head of Research, who joined the UNESCO Representative for the opening ceremony.
 

Technological Gaps and Structural Inequalities

Villegas warned of the stark inequality in AI preparedness across world regions. Citing the 2023 Government AI Readiness Index, she noted that Latin America and the Caribbean ranked sixth out of nine evaluated regions, with an average score of just 41.5. This figure underscores the urgent need to move toward true democratization in access to, use of, and governance of digital technologies.

AI, Democracy, and the New Digital Public Sphere

The keynote also addressed the risks associated with the unchecked spread of opaque algorithms in sensitive areas such as education, justice, employment, and credit. “When decision-making is delegated to automated systems without clear mechanisms for transparency or accountability, the very foundations of democracy are undermined,” Villegas warned.
She also emphasized that both governments and major tech corporations have the power to manipulate access to information and influence public debate. This reality demands urgent reflection on the roles of the State and the private sector in shaping digital space.

Big Data, Data Colonialism, and Technological Justice

Another key theme of her address was a critique of the concentration of digital power. While countries in the Global North control data centers and digital infrastructure, the Global South—including many Latin American countries—is relegated to precarious roles such as "data maquilas," perpetuating historical forms of exploitation.
Villegas warned of “data colonialism,” a dynamic in which invasive technologies are tested in environments with low institutional protection, without the local communities benefiting from or exercising control over their own data.