The OECD.AI Policy Navigator

Cuba’s Estrategia para el desarrollo de la Inteligencia Artificial defines artificial intelligence as an essential component of the national Policy for Digital Transformation and as a technology necessary for socio‑economic development. The strategy highlights that AI has moved beyond research environments and is increasingly present in societal activities, and that there can be no digital transformation without the development and use of artificial intelligence. It recognises the existence of national research capacities, while noting limited numbers of developers, few domestic AI products and an incipient articulation between academia and productive and service sectors.

The strategy organises implementation around six strategic axes specific to artificial intelligence: ethics and the legal framework; human capital; applications and services; public administration; science and innovation; and social communication. Key priorities include establishing ethical principles, legal and technical norms, and risk‑management protocols to ensure that AI systems respect fundamental rights, are safe, transparent, explainable, non‑discriminatory, and ensure data protection and privacy. The strategy also emphasises preparing human capital through education, specialised training and professional development to support the responsible use and development of AI.

Artificial intelligence applications are explicitly prioritised in sectors such as agriculture, health, education, transport and mobility, water supply, tourism, industry and public administration. The strategy refers to the use of AI for data analysis and optimisation to support decision‑making in areas including medicine, agriculture and urban mobility, and for improving government services through greater efficiency, transparency and responsiveness. It promotes the development, deployment and monitoring of AI‑based applications and services, as well as the establishment of standards for data management and interoperability.

Governance is based on a national system of direction led by the Ministry of Communications, which coordinates implementation and evaluates economic and social impacts across sectors. The strategy establishes accountability through systematic evaluation within the framework of the Policy for Digital Transformation and its Agenda, and includes mechanisms to manage risks associated with AI misuse. It involves government bodies, academia, enterprises and civil society, supported by an advisory council and dialogue forums, and sets out expected results related to ethical regulation, human capacity development, scientific research, innovation and the responsible expansion of AI use in priority sectors.