Building the Digital Future: Society and Diplomacy

In 2023, FUNAG and IPRI launched two series of interviews with renowned specialists from some of the world’s leading institutions, universities, and research centers. The series aim to examine the influence of digital technologies on the shaping of the contemporary world and the present and future challenges for the development of diplomatic activity. The interviews are being conducted in person or online and are published on FUNAG’s social media platforms. The interview material may also serve as the basis for the publication of a collection of texts gathering the main ideas and discussions presented during the meetings.

In this series, specialists and academics working at the frontier of knowledge on issues such as the potential of technological evolution engage in conversations with diplomats who currently deal with or have dealt at some point in their professional careers with these subjects, and who naturally have been confronted with the challenge of how to conduct diplomatic work amid digital transformation. Among the topics addressed in this series are, among others: artificial intelligence in health, education, finance, security, and defense; ongoing discussions on innovation versus regulation; society’s expectations regarding greater protection of personal data; the challenges of digital inclusion—not only in terms of infrastructure, but also literacy and the development of digital skills; the dominance of large platforms; the reality of disinformation and the numerous legal gaps in the digital sphere; national legal frameworks as well as international regimes. 

By discussing these emerging topics—which will evolve rapidly in the coming years—the aim of this interview series is to reflect on how Brazil can carve out its own path within this new reality, identifying and seizing opportunities while also preparing to deal with vulnerabilities at the domestic and international levels. It is expected that this series will provide answers and stimulate new questions. 

Interviews conducted since 2023:

• “New Digital Technologies and Implications for Brazil and the World.” Prof. Dr. Virgílio de Almeida, UFMG; Secretary Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva, Embassy of Brazil in Berlin. 
• “Internet Privacy and Personal Data Protection.” Dr. Miriam Wimmer, Director of the ANPD; Counselor Igor Resende. 
• “Artificial Intelligence: State of the Art and the Future.” 
  Prof. Dr. Fabio Cozman, Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI), USP; Minister Eugênio Vargas, Consulate of Brazil in San Francisco. 
• “Internet Governance: Past, Present, and Future.” Dr. Demi Getschko, President of NIC.br; Minister Éverton Frask Lucero, Chief of Staff, Secretariat for Asia, the Pacific, and Russia. 
• “Digital Government: Universalizing Access and Increasing State Efficiency.” Minister Eugênio Vargas Garcia, Department of Science, Technology, Innovation and Intellectual Property, MRE; Rogério Mascarenhas, Secretary of Digital Government, Ministry of Management and Innovation.