UNESCO Santiago Links AI Literacy to Critical Evaluation Across Latin America and the Caribbean

UNESCO’s Regional Office in Santiago marked the 25th anniversary of the Information for All Programme (IFAP) through two regional events focused on artificial intelligence, critical literacy and the changing information environment. Held in Montevideo and Santiago during October 2026, the meetings brought together specialists from Latin America and the Caribbean to examine AI’s implications for education, media and information literacy, and information integrity. The events formed part of an initiative by the UNESCO Observatory on Artificial Intelligence in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean, supported by IFAP international funding in 2026.

The initiative was one of three projects selected for support by IFAP internationally that year, alongside projects in West Africa and the Caribbean. Its stated purpose is to strengthen critical AI literacy among teachers, students and education authorities. Rather than treating AI literacy as simply the ability to operate digital tools, UNESCO Santiago’s approach emphasizes the capacities to understand, evaluate and use such technologies ethically, critically and responsibly. This framing places AI within a wider question about how people assess information and make informed decisions in digital settings.

The first event, held on 15 October at the MERCOSUR Building in Montevideo as part of EduIA Conf 2026, was organized with Uruguay’s Ministry of Education and Culture. Specialists from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay discussed changes that AI is bringing to educational processes, access to information and knowledge production. The dialogue stressed that AI literacy should include the ability to evaluate information critically, identify biases, recognize misinformation risks, and understand ethical and privacy implications.

Participants in Montevideo also considered the role of media and information literacy in teacher training, education systems and public policy. The stated aim was to foster people’s ability to navigate digital environments autonomously, critically and responsibly. UNESCO Santiago connected this concern to everyday digital life, where access to information alone does not ensure that people can judge its reliability or use it well.

The regional commemoration continued on 26 October in Santiago, co-organized with Universidad Alberto Hurtado during its Second Artificial Intelligence Week and Global Media and Information Literacy Week. Guilherme Canela, Director of UNESCO’s Section for Digital Policies and Digital Transformation and Secretary of IFAP, delivered a keynote on information integrity as a public good. He addressed misinformation, AI and changes in information ecosystems, emphasizing critical thinking and trustworthy information environments. Further discussions focused on media and information literacy as a means of responding to digital transformation, strengthening citizens’ capacities and contributing to information integrity. The event also featured Valtencir Mendes, chief of Education at UNESCO Santiago, along with specialists from Chile, Argentina and Colombia, including Marcos Mendiburu, Alejandra Falabella, María Teresa Rojas, Tomás Durán and Francisco Fernández.