São Paulo
Brazil
- Artificial intelligence
- English
- Prateek Sibal
- Angel Draev
- Ghazi Mabrouk
- Gustavo Fonseca Ribeiro
Introductory
Event organizer(s)
Supported by
Description
This course provides an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on its application in the public service. Participants will be guided through the entire process of devising an AI-based services in the public sector. Lessons will cover not just the functional aspects of this application but also the governance and ethical aspects of the process to offer a holistic point of view.
The course will be delivered at Cetic.br, a Category 2 Center under the auspices of UNESCO in São Paulo, Brazil. The content of this course is built on the AI4Gov Master Programme, formerly supported by the EU and offered by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Politecnico di Milano.
With the generous support of the Global Gateway initiative of the European Union, this course is offered for free for selected participants. This includes accommodation, meals, and other organized activities. Participants or their organizations will be responsible for covering their travel expenses to São Paulo, Brazil and if necessary, visa application costs.
This course is designed for government officials, policymakers, regulators, ICT professionals, interested in learning about the fundamentals of AI and its use and governance in the public sector.
The number of participants in this course is limited to 35.
Members of the above-mentioned target population are invited to apply for the training if they meet the following criteria:
- Hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant field like public administration, public policy, social sciences, engineering or have a minimum of two years of experience working in or with the public sector on technology policy or public services design, including artificial intelligence.
- Possess a fluent level of English.
- Complete the application questionnaire available on the ITU Academy.
Government officials and policymakers from developing countries, particularly women, are encouraged to apply. Selection will be conducted by the course organizers, who will consider the above entry requirements along with an analysis of the application questionnaire of each applicant.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe AI systems and identify their core components
- Relate AI systems to present-day use cases in the public sector
- Assess the risks and implications of an AI system
- Develop the concept for an AI-based service in the public sector
Participants will first be introduced to the basics of AI and its use cases in the public sector through a series of case studies and interactive lectures. Once they have a foundational understanding of the AI, ethical governance of AI and design thinking approaches, the participants will go through guided activities where they will apply the different concepts.
Throughout the program participants will be tasked to progressively follow the entire process of devising an AI-based service in the public sector through groupwork. The groupwork will enable participants to demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter by presenting a public service based on AI and sharing plans on the suggested governance of their service. The mornings will focus on theoretical learning, whereas each afternoon participants will apply the learned material in practical groupwork with a presentation at the end of each day. In the end, participants will take a final quiz covering the program’s content and deliver their groupwork final presentation. This will be graded, and feedback provided by the instructors.
Attendance
- Participants must attend at least 80% of the sessions to meet the attendance requirement.
Certification Criteria
- Group Work/Presentation – Phase 1 : 15% of the total score.
- Group Work/Presentation – Phase 2 : 15% of the total score.
- Group Work/Presentation – Phase 3 : 15% of the total score.
- Final Presentation – Day 4 : 30% of the total score.
- Final Quiz – Day 4: 25% of the total score.
A total score of 70% or higher is required to obtain the ITU certificate
Day 0
09:00 – 16:00
Arrival of selected participants and experts in São Paulo, Brazil.
19:30/20:00
Group dinner among organizers, participants, and experts.
Day 1: Module 1 – Introduction to AI in the Public Sector
09:00 – 09:30
Opening and Introduction by UNESCO, ITU, CETIC.BR, and EU (TBC):
- Overview of organizers, program, methodology, grading, and learning objectives.
09:30 – 10:30
Ice-Breaking Session:
- Introductions and an ice-breaking activity.
- Participants are organized into five groups with multidisciplinary perspectives (technical, governance, managerial).
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:50
Session 1: Challenges and Opportunities of Digital Transformation in the Public Sector
- Discuss barriers to digital transformation (e.g., cultural resistance, skills gap).
- Case study on AI in the Brazilian Government by Cetic.br and a government representative.
12:50 – 13:50
Lunch Break
13:50 – 15:40
Session 2: AI Use Cases in the Public Sector and Public Procurement
- Explore AI benefits and identify legal processes for AI utilization.
- Case studies include AI systems in the Netherlands and Latin America, as well as a World Economic Forum AI procurement toolbox.
15:40 – 16:10
Coffee Break
16:10 – 18:00
Session 3: AI Project Management Cycle and Understanding Data
- Overview of AI project lifecycle, including ideation, deployment, and iteration.
- Metrics for evaluating AI systems.
Day 2: Module 2 – AI Fundamentals
09:00 – 10:45
Session 4: Types of AI Systems
- Define AI systems and core components (machine learning, deep learning, generative AI).
10:45 – 11:15
Coffee Break
11:15 – 13:00
Session 5: Group Work (Phase 1 – Problem Identification and AI Use Cases)
- Match AI solutions to public sector problems.
- Share use cases and initiate groupwork on AI product development.
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:45
Session 6: Design Thinking Approach
- Learn and apply design thinking to real-world examples.
15:45 – 16:15
Coffee Break
16:15 – 18:00
Session 7: Human-Centric Service Design
- Explore human-centric principles for ethical AI governance.
Day 3: Module 3 & Module 4 – Public Service Design and AI Governance
09:00 – 10:45
Session 8: Groupwork (Phase 2 – Designing AI-Based Public Services)
- Develop a service design roadmap and present ideas.
10:45 – 11:15
Coffee Break
11:15 – 13:00
Session 9: Regulatory Approaches for AI Governance
- Overview of governance frameworks and tools worldwide, including UNESCO initiatives.
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:45
Session 10: AI Ethics Basics and Global Governance
- Introduce ethical frameworks and global standards for AI governance.
15:45 – 16:15
Coffee Break
16:15 – 17:15
Session 11.1: Groupwork (Phase 3 – Impact Assessment Tools for AI)
- Conduct ethical impact assessments for AI-based public services.
Day 4: Module 5 – Developing an AI-Based Service in the Public Sector
09:00 – 10:00
Session 11.2: Groupwork (Phase 3 – Impact Assessment Tools for AI)
- Continue ethical impact assessments and refine proposals.
10:00 – 10:30
Coffee Break
10:30 – 12:30
Session 12 – Part 1: Groupwork (Phase 4 – Consolidating AI-Based Public Services)
- Finalize groupwork and incorporate feedback for AI-based public service development.
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch Break
13:30 – 15:45
Session 12 – Part 2: Groupwork (Phase 4 – Presentations and Feedback)
- Present AI-based public services, covering ideation, design, and impact assessment (30% of evaluation).
15:45 – 16:15
Coffee Break
16:15 – 17:00
Evaluation:
- Final quiz (30 minutes).
- Course evaluation (15 minutes).
17:00 – 17:30
Certification and Closure by UNESCO, ITU, CETIC.BR, and EU (TBC).
Financial support available
With the generous support of the Global Gateway initiative of the European Union, ITU will cover training costs, accommodation for 5 nights, meals and training activities.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.