NEWS

As part of GovTechConnect, an initiative led by Red Innovación Local together with IDB Lab, mayors and technical teams from different municipalities across Chile met at the Municipality of Renca to present the artificial intelligence pilots they will develop this year within the Coalition of Cities with Artificial Intelligence (CIIAR).

Technology does not always reach where it is needed most. Reducing that gap is one of the goals of Red Innovación Local (RIL), which, through GovTechConnect —its program with IDB Lab— supports local governments across the region in incorporating new technologies into public management. CIIAR is one of the coalitions that is part of this work: it brings together Chilean municipalities committed to using artificial intelligence to transform municipal management.

What is CIIAR and what role does RIL play?

CIIAR is, above all, a learning community. Through it, mayors and municipal teams from different municipalities across Chile work together to ensure that artificial intelligence translates into better services and more efficient municipal management. Red Innovación Local promotes and supports this community as part of GovTechConnect, facilitating exchange among municipalities and the development of their projects. The coalition does not propose one-size-fits-all solutions for municipalities: each city moves forward according to its own priorities, while sharing its learnings with the rest of the network.

A space to share strategies, not just results

During the meeting, mayors presented the artificial intelligence pilots they will develop as part of the project. But the conversation went beyond specific projects: municipal teams also shared their technology development strategies, their concrete progress in the use of artificial intelligence, and how this initiative fits into their medium-term planning.

This is an important point to highlight. Public innovation spaces often focus on showcasing results that have already been achieved. This meeting prioritized something else: understanding how each municipality is building its own roadmap, including its decisions, challenges, and progress that is still underway. This is what enables other cities to learn from the process, not just from the final outcome.

The event took place in an environment described by participants as constructive and hopeful. Each municipal team presented its work, motivation, and commitment to improving the services it provides to citizens, with a willingness to make the best possible use of technology.

The activity was organized by the Red Innovación Local team through GovTechConnect, with the support of the Municipality of Renca —through La Fábrica de Renca— which hosted the meeting.

Why this model matters for other cities

The experience of CIIAR Chile offers a lesson that may be useful for other local governments across the region: incorporating artificial intelligence into public management depends not only on the technology available, but also on creating spaces where municipalities can share strategies, questions, and decisions with their peers. The coalition also reaffirms a key principle for any process of this kind: that the implementation of artificial intelligence in the public sector should be responsible and focused on improving municipal management and delivering better solutions from the local level.

What comes next

Red Innovación Local will continue supporting CIIAR Chile as a learning community among municipalities, with the goal of strengthening the GovTech ecosystem and the capacity of local governments to implement technological solutions across the country. The meeting in Renca is another step in this process: it showed that, despite the differences between municipalities, there is a shared commitment to transforming municipal management through collective learning.