The House of Representatives approved, on 29 September 2021, Bill No. 21/20, which establishes foundations and principles for the development and application of artificial intelligence ('AI') in Brazil, listing guidelines for the promotion and performance of public authorities on the subject. In particular, the bill provides, among other things, that the subject of AI will be the responsibility of federal authorities to legislate and issue rules on the matter. Furthermore, the bill lists several aspects that will depend on regulation,  through sectoral bodies, and entities with technical competence in the area, such as regulatory agencies and the Central Bank of Brazil. 

Moreover, the bill regulates various aspects such as:  

• transparency and ethical use of AI systems in the public sector; 
• the duty to encourage the creation of transparent and collaborative governance mechanisms with the participation of representatives from various sectors; 
• to promote international cooperation and the negotiation of treaties, agreements and global technical standards that facilitate the interoperability between systems and the harmonisation of legislation in this regard; and  
• the adoption of regulatory instruments that promote innovation. 

The bill will now be sent to the Senate for approval. 

You can read the press release here, the text of the bill here, and track the bill here, all only available in Portuguese.