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A 360° conversation about public projects and infrastructure made simple with generative AI Imagine a solution that transforms how governments, the private sector and citizens interact with public procurement. That is LucIA , the public procurement chatbot: a technological tool designed and developed by the Transparencia Inteligente  team that allows users to access information about tenders, infrastructure projects and public contracts through WhatsApp in real time. LucIA aims to make public management more transparent while opening opportunities for companies and empowering citizens with clearer access to information. What is LucIA? LucIA is a chatbot powered by generative artificial intelligence  that centralizes and simplifies complex and dispersed data related to public procurement. Through natural language and an intuitive interface, users—whether public officials, entrepreneurs or citizens—can interact directly with information about infrastructure projects and public works. For example, users can ask how much a hospital costs to build, why a project is delayed or which public tenders are currently open. LucIA explains these issues clearly and in real time. Technically, LucIA combines generative AI with real-time data retrieval technologies. It uses large language models supported by tools such as LangChain  and Pinecone , which transform public procurement data, news and other sources into searchable embeddings that allow the system to respond quickly and accurately. Cloud infrastructure and data systems ensure that the information remains accessible and reliable. What is it for? LucIA helps make complex public procurement information easier to understand. For local governments , it strengthens transparency and accountability by providing citizens with accessible information about public projects and infrastructure. For the private sector , including contractors, suppliers and investors, it offers valuable data about tenders and projects, helping them improve planning, competitiveness and strategic decision-making. For citizens , it becomes a direct channel to monitor public resources, report irregularities and better understand how public works affect their daily lives. Why is it special? LucIA is not just another chatbot. It is an innovative tool designed to generate public value . First, it uses disruptive technology. By relying on generative AI, LucIA can evolve continuously as new data sources and analytical capabilities are added. Second, it strengthens transparency and trust in public administration. By making contracts and infrastructure projects easier to understand, it empowers governments, companies and citizens to make better decisions. Third, its flexible design allows it to adapt to different contexts. LucIA can work with local governments, private companies and communities in both small municipalities and large cities, as long as public data is available. What comes next? The prototype developed with generative AI has already demonstrated its capacity to manage complex data and respond to real user questions. In early testing, more than 80% of users highlighted its usefulness . This is only the beginning. New improvements are being developed to expand LucIA’s capabilities and continue exploring how artificial intelligence can support transparency, digital transformation and innovation in public procurement. ___________ Transparencia Inteligente is a team formed through the partnership between Fit Ideas SAS and Gobierna Bien SAS. It was created within the framework of the Corrupción Cero  program to accelerate GovTech solutions with the support of CAF — Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean — in collaboration with Rewired.

Much has been said about technology and its effects on modern civilization, often from a negative perspective: how dating moved from cafés to Tinder, leaving coffee shops empty, or how we now prefer ordering food through apps instead of going out to restaurants. However, I would like to propose an alternative narrative about the relationship between technology and society. First, it is important to remember that living in society is an evolutionary necessity. Sociologist Émile Durkheim, for example, devoted much of his work to explaining how bonds of solidarity among individuals give rise to and sustain societies. If we understand this as a natural phenomenon, and acknowledge the inherent human desire to connect with others, we can affirm that technology cannot prevent communities from forming. On the contrary, I argue that technology enables the creation of new types of communities, different from those we once knew. A clear example of this is fandoms: communities—often spread across continents—that come together around a shared passion for a TV series, a singer, an artist, or activities such as cosplay, writing, or reading. From any sociological perspective, these fandoms are genuine communities, with their own norms, behaviors, and values. (For example, no Swiftie anywhere in the world would voluntarily listen to Kanye West.) This phenomenon does not merely survive because of technology—it exists because of it. Listening to K-Pop in Bogotá without ever having been to Korea allows people to connect with diverse cultures and communities, just as someone can feel part of the Real Madrid fan community without having visited Spain, or love vallenato music without ever traveling to Colombia’s Caribbean coast. In the political sphere, one could argue that the victories of causes such as the legalization of abortion are, to a large extent, the result of organized digital communities—what we might metaphorically call fandoms of public advocacy. I do not use the term in a derogatory sense or to minimize feminism, but rather to highlight the capacity of these international technological communities to achieve legislative victories in more than sixty countries by sharing philosophy, materials, and strategies for collective action. We live surrounded by these technological communities, which continue to gain strength. In a globalized world where borders are far less restrictive than they were twenty or thirty years ago, this represents an opportunity rather than a risk. Instead of maintaining a passive attitude toward technology, the State should adopt a proactive role and adapt to this new reality. Only then will the idea of community not dissolve but instead become stronger than ever in the twenty-first century.

A few days ago, Albania surprised the world with a striking announcement: the prime minister appointed an artificial intelligence called Diella  as a virtual “minister” responsible for overseeing all public procurement processes. The goal is clear: to use algorithms to reduce corruption and ensure that public contracting is carried out with greater transparency. The idea may sound futuristic, but it highlights a profound transformation already underway in the way governments manage public resources. In many countries, public procurement remains one of the areas most vulnerable to corruption, political favoritism, and opaque decision-making. By introducing an algorithmic system designed to monitor and analyze contracting processes, Albania is experimenting with a model in which technology strengthens institutional oversight. Diella: Albania’s AI-Powered Minister Designed to Fight Corruption Of course, artificial intelligence cannot replace political judgment or democratic accountability. Algorithms are tools, and like any tool they depend on the quality of the data they receive and the values embedded in their design. Nevertheless, their capacity to analyze large volumes of information and detect irregular patterns can become a powerful ally in the fight against corruption. For Colombia, this debate is especially relevant. The country has experienced several major corruption scandals linked to public contracting, revealing structural weaknesses in monitoring systems and institutional transparency. Strengthening oversight mechanisms through technological tools could help rebuild public trust and improve the management of public resources. In fact, Colombia has already taken initial steps in this direction. Initiatives such as LucIA , a chatbot created to shed light on public projects and facilitate citizen access to information, show that technology can also become a tool for democratic oversight. By providing citizens with clearer and more accessible data, these tools help strengthen transparency and public participation. The lesson from Albania is not that algorithms should replace ministers. Rather, it is that governments must be willing to experiment with innovative tools that improve public administration. Artificial intelligence, when used responsibly and transparently, can support institutions in detecting risks, preventing irregularities, and ensuring better governance. Ultimately, the challenge is not technological but political. The real question is whether governments are willing to adopt tools that increase transparency and reduce opportunities for corruption. If they are, then technology—far from being a threat—can become one of the most powerful allies of democratic governance in the twenty-first century.

Major infrastructure projects often generate intense public debate. They raise expectations about urban transformation but also concerns about transparency, timelines, and the social impact of construction. Bogotá’s Metro—one of the most ambitious public works projects in Colombia’s history—is no exception. In this context, Gobierna Bien and Fit Ideas promoted a civic conversation initiative focused on the first line of the Bogotá Metro. The objective was not simply to inform citizens about the project but to explore how technology could help strengthen participation, transparency, and public trust around the project. At the center of this initiative was LucIA , an artificial-intelligence-based chatbot designed to make information about public contracting and infrastructure projects more accessible. Through natural language interaction, citizens could ask questions about the project, its progress, timelines, costs, and technical characteristics. Photo credit: Bogotá Metro Company (2024) This type of tool represents a new approach to public oversight. Instead of requiring citizens to navigate complex legal documents or technical reports, LucIA translates public information into clear and accessible language. In doing so, it lowers the barriers that traditionally limit meaningful citizen participation in large-scale infrastructure projects. The conversation generated valuable insights. Citizens are not only interested in the physical progress of the project but also in understanding how decisions are made, how resources are allocated, and how their daily lives will be affected by the construction and operation of the metro system. This experience also highlights the potential of what we might call “collaborative citizenship.”  Rather than limiting participation to consultation processes, collaborative citizenship invites communities to co-create, evaluate, monitor, and improve public initiatives. In this sense, civic technology tools like LucIA can help mitigate misinformation, anticipate potential conflicts, and encourage a more constructive dialogue between institutions and communities. By incorporating the voice of citizens into the everyday management of major projects, public institutions can strengthen transparency and democratic accountability. For a project as transformative as the Bogotá Metro, building trust is as important as building infrastructure. Innovation in public management—supported by technology and citizen participation—can play a decisive role in achieving that goal. Ultimately, the lesson is clear: technology should not replace democratic institutions, but it can significantly enhance their capacity to listen, respond, and govern more transparently.

I am writing this note from a high-speed train on my way back to Madrid. Just a few days ago, I was one of the thousands of passengers whose plans were disrupted by a massive blackout. In moments like these, when technology suddenly fails, we become aware of how deeply our daily lives depend on complex energy systems. Power outages immediately spark questions. What happened? Who is responsible? Could it have been prevented? In the public debate that follows, explanations often compete with speculation, and uncertainty easily turns into distrust. In recent years, the rapid expansion of renewable energy has become one of the central pillars of the global energy transition. Solar, wind, and other clean technologies are essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. However, moments of crisis—such as large-scale blackouts—can quickly fuel narratives that question their reliability. These debates are rarely purely technical. They are also political, social, and cultural. In a context of growing polarization and digital information flows, public perception can shift rapidly. A complex technical incident may be simplified into a political argument about the supposed risks of renewable energy. Yet energy systems are among the most complex infrastructures societies operate. Blackouts can result from a wide variety of factors, including network failures, operational decisions, weather conditions, cyber risks, or simply the inherent fragility of interconnected systems. The challenge, therefore, is not to abandon the energy transition but to strengthen it. This requires better communication with citizens, greater transparency in the management of energy systems, and stronger institutional capacity to explain and manage crises. If the energy transition is to succeed, it must not only be technologically viable but also socially legitimate. In other words, it must build trust. And trust, in the age of complex technological systems, may be as important as electricity itself.

Digital transformation in the public sector is unavoidable, yet it is not without challenges. Resistance to change, institutional fragmentation and regulatory gaps have slowed the adoption of new technologies within public administration. Nevertheless, some voices have managed to transform these challenges into strategic opportunities. Among them is Concepción Campos , a legal scholar and public management expert whose work has promoted administrative modernization from the perspective of technology, ethics and regulatory compliance. Her background as a Doctor of Law and her experience as a professional public manager and local government secretary have placed her at a crucial intersection: the application of artificial intelligence, compliance frameworks and transparency in public management. In her view, digitalization is not an end in itself but a means to provide more agile, accessible and reliable services to citizens. As Campos emphasizes, the public sector cannot remain disconnected from a society that is rapidly digitizing; instead, governments must take the lead in this transformation. One of the central pillars of her work is the application of generative artificial intelligence in the public sector . From automating administrative processes to predictive analysis in public procurement, AI has the potential to support decision-making and optimize resources. However, Campos also warns about the risks associated with its implementation. Artificial intelligence, she argues, should already be part of the DNA of public administrations, yet it is often adopted in uneven, fragmented and insufficiently transparent ways. For this reason, AI must be understood as a tool for purpose-driven transformation , not merely as another technological trend. Much is said about artificial intelligence, she notes, but far less attention is paid to data governance , an essential element for ensuring that technological innovation operates within ethical and institutional frameworks. A relevant example is Minerva , the data-mining system developed by the Spanish Tax Agency to detect potential conflicts of interest in public procurement processes in less than 24 hours. This tool demonstrates how technology can strengthen accountability and prevent corrupt practices. However, Campos also highlights that public access to such data remains limited, reducing opportunities for broader civic oversight. The adoption of technology in the public sector faces a fundamental barrier: resistance to change . Overcoming this challenge requires not only investment in digital infrastructure but also a cultural transformation within institutions. Leadership, organizational capacity, talent development and incentives for innovation are essential elements to ensure that public administrations do not fall behind technological progress. Europe’s experience with digital transformation offers valuable lessons for Latin America and the Caribbean , where gaps in connectivity and technical capacity persist within public institutions. Campos advocates for stronger public-private collaboration to accelerate digitalization and develop GovTech solutions capable of addressing local challenges. In this context, she highlights the importance of innovation-oriented public procurement  as a mechanism to stimulate technological development while preserving integrity and fair competition. Looking toward the future, Campos envisions a more automated public sector where artificial intelligence plays a central role in decision-making, service simplification and citizen interaction. Yet she emphasizes that the key factor is not technology itself but political will and institutional capacity  to implement it responsibly and strategically. Her perspective on regulating artificial intelligence is particularly clear: preventing harm is far easier than repairing the consequences of unregulated technological expansion. Deploying AI without ethical frameworks, oversight and governance mechanisms may create problems that will be difficult to solve later. Ultimately, digital transformation is not merely a technical issue. It represents a commitment to continuously improving public administration and strengthening democratic governance. Campos’ reflections offer valuable insights into how governments can embrace artificial intelligence responsibly while building institutions that are more transparent, efficient and aligned with the public interest.

When a renewable energy project encounters social rejection, the first reaction among developers is often fear. Fear that the project will be delayed, that permits will be blocked, or that community opposition will ultimately make the initiative unviable. The expansion of renewable energy has become one of the main pillars of the global response to climate change. However, the energy transition is not only a technological challenge—it is also a social one. In many territories, wind farms, solar plants and other renewable infrastructure have begun to face growing resistance from local communities. These reactions are frequently explained through concepts such as NIMBY  (“Not In My Backyard”), referring to situations in which citizens support renewable energy in principle but oppose specific projects near their homes. But reducing the problem to NIMBY attitudes oversimplifies a much more complex reality. Social opposition to renewable projects often emerges from a combination of factors: lack of information, distrust toward institutions, perceived environmental impacts, unequal distribution of benefits, and limited participation of local communities in decision-making processes. The author proposes an analogy with oncology to better understand this phenomenon. Just as cancer develops through complex processes that spread gradually through the body, social rejection can also grow and expand if it is not addressed early.   Fear, rumors and mistrust may begin in small groups but can quickly spread throughout entire communities. When this happens, renewable projects become symbols of conflict rather than opportunities for development and climate action. Addressing this challenge requires more than technical solutions. It demands dialogue, mediation and participatory processes that allow communities to understand projects and express their concerns. Developers and public institutions must recognize that the energy transition will only succeed if it gains social legitimacy . Renewable energy cannot simply be imposed; it must be built through collaboration with the communities that host these infrastructures. In this sense, mediation and social engagement become key tools to prevent conflicts and strengthen trust between energy developers, governments and local populations. Ultimately, the challenge is not renewable energy itself but the way it is implemented. If the energy transition is to succeed, it must combine technological innovation with social acceptance. Only then will renewable energy become not a source of conflict, but a shared opportunity for sustainable development.

In the digital age, politics increasingly unfolds on social media platforms. Visibility, followers and viral content often become the currency of political influence. Yet this raises an important question: does popularity online reflect real legislative work? The quality of parliamentary performance has traditionally been evaluated through criteria such as competence, integrity and responsibility. However, the growing dominance of social media has introduced new incentives that sometimes prioritize communication strategies over substantive policy work. Political leaders today can build large audiences by producing content that generates engagement—tweets, short videos or viral messages—while the more complex and less visible work of legislation remains largely outside public attention. This dynamic risks creating what we might call “spectacle politicians” : representatives who focus more on maintaining digital visibility than on fulfilling their legislative responsibilities. However, technology itself can also provide the tools to address this problem. The same digital environment that amplifies political spectacle can also enable greater transparency and accountability . Through open data, parliamentary monitoring platforms and digital civic tools, citizens can increasingly access detailed information about the real work performed by their elected representatives. For example, technological tools can allow citizens to analyze how often a legislator participates in debates, the number of bills they propose, their voting records or their attendance in parliamentary sessions. When this information becomes accessible and understandable to the public, it becomes possible to contrast online visibility with actual legislative performance . This transformation represents an important opportunity for democratic governance. Instead of relying solely on political narratives or campaign communication, citizens can evaluate representatives based on measurable indicators of their institutional work. In this sense, technology can become a powerful ally for democratic oversight. By opening parliamentary data and making it easier to analyze, digital tools can help citizens distinguish between political spectacle and effective public service. Ultimately, the question is not whether politicians should communicate through social media—they inevitably will—but whether citizens have the tools to assess their real performance beyond the number of likes they receive. In the long run, strengthening transparency in parliamentary activity may help shift political incentives away from spectacle and back toward what truly matters: legislation that improves the lives of citizens.

I often repeat the same idea: the fight against climate change and the energy transition is a global challenge with local solutions . While the urgency of reducing emissions is widely recognized, the implementation of renewable energy projects frequently encounters resistance at the local level. This phenomenon is commonly described using the concept NIMBY —“Not In My Backyard”—which refers to situations where people support renewable energy in principle but oppose the installation of projects near their homes or communities. However, the challenge facing the energy transition today goes beyond traditional NIMBY dynamics. In many cases, opposition does not stem solely from citizens but also from political and institutional incentives. This is where another concept becomes relevant: NIMTO—“Not In My Term of Office.” NIMTO describes the political reluctance of decision-makers to approve projects that could generate controversy during their time in office. Even when renewable infrastructure is necessary and broadly beneficial, local authorities may avoid supporting projects that could provoke short-term opposition from voters. In other words, the barriers to renewable energy are not only social but also institutional and political . This dynamic highlights the importance of what is often called the “social license”  of renewable energy projects. Beyond legal permits and regulatory approvals, renewable infrastructure must also obtain legitimacy from the communities where it is implemented. Without this social license, projects risk facing delays, conflicts and political resistance that can undermine the pace of the energy transition. Building that legitimacy requires dialogue, transparency and participation . Communities need to understand the benefits, impacts and long-term value of renewable energy projects, while developers and governments must recognize the legitimate concerns of local populations. Ultimately, the energy transition cannot succeed through technology alone. It requires a governance model capable of aligning global climate goals with local acceptance . Only when renewable projects are built through trust and collaboration will they achieve the social legitimacy necessary to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable energy system.

In recent years, the concept of smart government  has gained increasing attention in debates about the future of public administration. Yet many people still associate it simply with the use of digital technologies or the modernization of government services. This interpretation is incomplete. Smart government is not just about digitalizing bureaucratic processes. A government that simply converts paperwork into online forms is not necessarily smarter—it is only digitally bureaucratic . Smart government represents a deeper transformation. It can be understood as an evolution of digital government that, under the principles of open government , uses emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data or blockchain while also incorporating collaboration with citizens and the collective intelligence of society. In this sense, technology is not the objective but the tool . The real goal is to solve public problems more effectively and generate greater public value. Smart government promotes efficiency by improving the delivery of public services, reducing bureaucratic processes and enabling governments to make decisions based on data rather than intuition. It can even help anticipate risks and prevent problems before they escalate. But efficiency alone is not enough. Smart government also seeks legitimacy . Citizens must feel that public institutions respond to their needs and incorporate their knowledge, ideas and experiences into public decision-making. For this reason, smart government relies on collaboration and civic intelligence. When governments open data, encourage participation and integrate technological innovation into policy design, they enable citizens to become co-creators of public solutions. The result is a new model of governance. Instead of a hierarchical and closed administration, smart government promotes collaborative governance , where governments, citizens, businesses and civil society organizations work together to address complex public challenges. Ultimately, smart government serves a simple but powerful purpose: to make governments more capable of solving problems, more transparent in their actions and more responsive to the people they serve. In the twenty-first century, governments that fail to become smarter risk losing legitimacy and effectiveness in an increasingly digital and interconnected society.

A few days ago I participated in an event in Madrid organized by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean – focused on renewing the strategic agenda for cooperation between the European Union and CELAC in the coming years. Three key areas dominated the discussions: sustainability and environment, digital transformation and social policy . These three pillars have shaped the global development agenda for years. I would like to focus here on the first of them: sustainability and the environment . Concern about climate change and the transformation of energy systems is no longer only about protecting nature and natural resources—preventing biodiversity loss, reducing natural disasters, limiting temperature increases or protecting oceans. It is also, and perhaps above all, a geopolitical and economic challenge . Climate change affects the stability of societies. Scarcity of resources, rising food and energy prices and the widening gap between developed and developing countries can generate serious tensions with consequences for migration, security and global stability. For this reason, addressing climate change requires coordinated action at the international level. Agreements such as the Paris Climate Accord illustrate the need for global cooperation. However, while the challenge is global, many of the most effective solutions emerge locally . Cities and local governments play a crucial role in implementing climate policies. Urban planning, energy efficiency programs, renewable energy deployment, sustainable mobility systems and environmental protection measures are often designed and executed at the local level. Local institutions are also closer to citizens, which allows them to promote participation and collective awareness about environmental challenges. This proximity is essential for building social support for climate action. When communities understand the benefits of sustainability policies and feel involved in their implementation, climate initiatives are more likely to succeed. In this sense, the fight against climate change requires a multi-level governance approach , combining global agreements, national policies and local initiatives. International cooperation can establish frameworks and commitments, but it is through local implementation that these commitments become tangible results. Ultimately, the fight against climate change will depend not only on global agreements but also on the capacity of cities, communities and institutions to transform those commitments into concrete actions. Because while climate change is undoubtedly a global problem , its most effective solutions are often local .

In recent years, the concept of open government  has become increasingly present in debates about public administration and democratic innovation. However, it is often misunderstood as a set of isolated policies focused mainly on transparency or access to public information. This limited interpretation fails to capture its true potential. Open government should not be understood as a sectoral reform or a specific public policy. Instead, it represents a cross-cutting governance model  capable of transforming the way public institutions design, implement and evaluate public policies. At its core, open government rests on three fundamental pillars: transparency, participation and collaboration . Transparency allows citizens to access information about public decisions and government actions. Participation enables society to contribute ideas, knowledge and perspectives to public policy processes. Collaboration encourages governments to work alongside civil society, academia and the private sector to address complex public challenges. When these principles are applied systematically, they strengthen democratic governance. Public institutions become more accountable, citizens gain greater trust in government and policies are designed with a deeper understanding of social realities. However, the greatest potential of open government lies in its ability to function as a transversal principle within government programs . Instead of limiting open government initiatives to specialized offices or transparency portals, governments should integrate its principles across all sectors: education, health, infrastructure, climate policy and digital transformation. This approach allows public policies to benefit from collective intelligence and strengthens the legitimacy of government decisions. In practice, incorporating open government into government programs means creating mechanisms for dialogue with citizens, publishing relevant public data, enabling participatory decision-making and promoting collaborative problem-solving. International initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership (OGP)  have demonstrated that governments around the world are increasingly adopting these practices to improve institutional transparency and civic engagement. Yet the real challenge is not merely adopting the language of open government but embedding its principles into the daily functioning of public institutions . When governments embrace openness as a transversal strategy rather than a symbolic commitment, they can transform the relationship between the State and society. Ultimately, open government is not simply about transparency—it is about building more legitimate, collaborative and responsive democracies .