Dominican Government Approves Ethics Code for Artificial Intelligence in Public Services
The Dominican government adopts mandatory rules for using artificial intelligence in the state, with bans and rights for citizens.
Key points
- Decree 787-26 approves the Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence in Public Services.
- Centralized and decentralized public administration bodies must comply with it.
- Mass social scoring and mass biometric identification without a court order are prohibited.
- Institutions have 180 calendar days to adapt their processes.
The Dominican government approved the Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence in Public Services through Decree 787-26. The rule is mandatory for centralized and decentralized public administration bodies and aims to ensure responsible, safe and transparent use of these technologies in the state.
According to the Presidency, the code was developed through a participatory, multisector process led by the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC) and the General Directorate of Government Ethics and Integrity (DIGEIG), with technical support from the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The Presidency says its criteria align with UNESCO and OECD standards.
Among the main measures, AI systems that may affect access to rights, social benefits or administrative sanctions must undergo an Ethical and Rights Impact Assessment and receive approval from the supervisory body before operating. Citizens will be able to learn when a decision was supported by AI and request understandable explanations and human review.
The rule also bans abusive uses, including generalized social scoring, mass biometric identification in public spaces without a court order, predictive criminal profiling based on territorial or socioeconomic bias, automated criminal sentencing, and autonomous weapons. It also sets stronger controls for systems aimed at children and adolescents.
On procurement, state technology providers must guarantee traceability, cybersecurity and protection of Dominicans' data, and allow state audits.
The decree creates the National Council on AI Ethics, an advisory and coordination body with representatives from state institutions, academia and civil society. Public institutions have 180 calendar days to adapt their internal processes, register their systems and comply with the rule.
Why it matters
Citizens dealing with Dominican public agencies can find out when AI supported a decision and request human review.
With additional reporting from: Acento