The Salvadoran government has announced the creation of the National Artificial Intelligence Agency (ANIA), which will operate under the Office of the Presidency to oversee AI-related activities in the country.
On February 6, at 2:48 p.m., Minister of Economy María Luisa Hayem submitted the “Law for the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence and Technologies” to the Legislative Assembly. The bill was introduced as a change of agenda during the plenary session and will be reviewed by the Committee on Technology, Tourism, and Investment.
The proposed legislation aims to support AI developers by assisting them in registering their intellectual property. Additionally, it mandates that individuals or entities handling open-domain data or proprietary non-commercial data for public use must register with the National Register for AI Development, Innovation, and Application.
Entities listed in the register will be required to adhere to applicable technical regulations and will receive certain benefits, including exemption from liability for unintended consequences or errors arising from AI-generated outputs. Furthermore, developers will not be held responsible for the misuse of AI tools, provided they demonstrate “reasonable efforts” to ensure safety and ethical standards.
The bill also establishes that private entities cannot impose conditions on AI-generated results beyond those set by Salvadoran law. Intellectual property rights for AI-developed innovations will remain with their respective developers.
Additionally, AI activities linked to public institutions or under administrative supervision must comply with security regulations set by the State Cybersecurity Agency (ACE). ANIA will be responsible for designing a risk assessment framework for AI systems handling confidential, reserved, or personal data within 90 days of the law’s enactment.
The proposed legislation highlights El Salvador’s efforts to regulate and foster artificial intelligence development while ensuring legal safeguards for developers and users alike.