Dominican Republic launches AI training for one million citizens

President Luis Abinader has launched ‘RD Inteligente’, a national artificial intelligence literacy program aimed at providing free training to one million citizens in the Dominican Republic. Managed by the Instituto Tecnológico de Las Américas (ITLA), the initiative seeks to democratize access to technology and strengthen digital competencies to foster a more inclusive knowledge economy. The program offers various learning paths, ranging from basic digital literacy to specialized training in automation, data analysis, and programming.

In a separate but related announcement, the Dominican government partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch ‘AWS Entrena República Dominicana’. This specific program will provide 50,000 free scholarships for training in artificial intelligence and cloud computing by 2028. The initiative is designed for individuals over 18, including students, professionals, and small business owners, and will be delivered through online platforms.

President Abinader emphasized that the goal is not to turn every participant into a programmer, but to empower citizens to use AI to enhance their existing professional and academic activities. The various programs involve multiple local institutions, including the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and SMEs, and the Ministry of Education, to ensure broad technological transformation across the country.