AI regulation in Uruguay (2026)

Approved November 2024 and published by AGESIC with support from CAF and UNESCO, the strategy sets governance principles, human-rights safeguards, innovation objectives, and a roadmap for responsible public-sector AI adoption through 2030.

Uruguay signed the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225) on 2 September 2025, becoming the first Latin American state to sign this legally binding international instrument covering the full AI lifecycle.

As of late 2025, AGESIC was internally drafting a standalone AI law intended to protect human rights, create an algorithmic transparency regime, and 'balance forces' between large technology corporations and citizens; the bill had not been formally submitted to parliament as of November 2025.

On 31 December 2025, the Executive Power issued a decree establishing regulatory sandboxes ('entornos controlados de prueba') and data spaces, allowing companies, public bodies, universities, and civil society organisations to test AI and data projects in real conditions for up to two years under AGESIC supervision, subject to human-rights and data-protection constraints.

Article 74 of Budget Law No. 20.212 mandated AGESIC to produce AI regulation recommendations to Parliament. AGESIC acts as the de facto national AI authority, coordinating the Strategic Committee for AI and Data across the public sector.

Independent reporting (Pulitzer Center, UNESCO) confirms Uruguay deploys AI in public services without a general AI law, ethical-review mechanisms, or algorithmic-accountability enforcement, highlighting a governance gap that the pending bill aims to close.