The National Institute of Science and Technology in Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability (INCT-IAS) aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration that extends beyond technological advancement, integrating legal, ethical, educational, and social dimensions. It is founded on the principle that Artificial Intelligence must serve the public good, respect privacy, operate with accountability and transparency, and contribute to a more equitable society.

In this context, issues such as algorithmic bias, discrimination, and structural inequalities are central. Sustainability is understood through a critical lens as the conscious use of technologies capable of ensuring enduring and diverse conditions for life on Earth.

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To support this approach, the Institute adopts a philosophical perspective that views technology as a constitutive element of social organization, following the human trajectory as Homo Faber. By moving away from a strictly anthropocentric view of sustainable development, new normative challenges emerge—particularly visible within the urban contexts of societies marked by profound inequalities.

 

In this scenario, the debate on smart cities gains relevance, articulating Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) as tools with great transformative potential, yet also as carriers of ethical, social, and environmental dilemmas that demand critical reflection and responsible governance.