The Dominican government launched a program on Thursday aiming to train one million people in the use of artificial intelligence, called RD Inteligente. President Luis Abinader introduced the initiative at the Las Cariatides hall of the National Palace, and the tool is already operating.
The plan seeks to widen access to knowledge about artificial intelligence and prepare the population to use these tools at work, in school, in business and in other productive activities.
Abinader said that literacy today also means learning to understand and use new technologies, especially given the rapid advance of artificial intelligence. He said the goal was not to turn a million Dominicans into programmers, but to make a million Dominicans better at what they already do.
Three levels of training
According to Abinader, RD Inteligente will set up learning paths ranging from basic literacy to using artificial intelligence to boost productivity. Those who want to go further will be able to specialize in areas such as automation, data management and programming.
Abinader said the goal was not limited to handing out certificates, but to promote a culture of lifelong learning so that the skills gained translate into job opportunities, better wages and stronger businesses.
Free training from any device
Jimmy Rosario, executive director of the Instituto Tecnologico de las Americas (ITLA), a Dominican public institution that offers technical and technological education, said the training will be free, accessible and open to young people and adults regardless of their level of technological knowledge. It will also be available to people with disabilities.
The first level will last 10 hours, and interested people can register using their national ID card and email address. Training can be completed on mobile phones, computers, laptops or any other internet-connected device.
Rosario said the program has three levels. The first focuses on artificial intelligence literacy. The second includes applications adapted to different professional fields, with 28 training paths. The third allows participants to move toward specializations and certifications backed by technology companies.
He said agreements are being worked out to bring satellite connectivity to communities that have difficulty accessing the internet, and that the initiative has the backing of technology companies including Microsoft, Cisco and Amazon.
Rosario invited every Dominican to sign up starting that day for RD Inteligente through the portal rdinteligente.do. He said the most important thing was taking the first step, adding that the future is not waited for, it is built.
AI to boost productivity and public services
Abinader linked the program to the government's plans to increase business productivity and transform public services through the use of new technologies.
He said artificial intelligence should help create a state that is more agile, simpler and, above all, closer to citizens, cutting down on lines, paperwork and the time people spend on public services.
The president also set a goal of turning the Dominican Republic into a technology hub for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the capacity not only to consume technology but also to develop solutions and build a skilled workforce able to attract investment.
Reaction from other officials
Jose Ignacio Paliza, the minister of the Presidency, said RD Inteligente seeks to democratize access to knowledge and prevent artificial intelligence from becoming a new source of inequality.
He said democratizing artificial intelligence is, at its core, about democratizing opportunity, and that the goal was not simply to have more technology but to have more Dominicans prepared to use it.
Paliza also announced that his ministry is working with the Ministry of Public Administration so that artificial intelligence training becomes part of the institutional performance evaluations of government officials and public servants.
The launch was also attended by Rafael Santos Badia, the minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, along with representatives of the armed forces and various sectors of civil society.
