Marco IA593: Modelo de Gobernanza, \'Etica y Estrategia para la Integraci\'on de la Inteligencia Artificial en la Educaci\'on Superior del Ecuador

TL;DR

This paper introduces the IA593 Framework, a governance, ethics, and strategy model designed to guide Ecuadorian higher education institutions in adopting AI responsibly and effectively, addressing structural gaps and promoting academic integrity.

Contribution

The paper presents a scalable AI governance and ethics framework tailored for Ecuadorian universities, aligning with international principles and national strategies to enhance AI integration.

Findings

The IA593 Framework addresses governance, ethics, and operational challenges in Ecuadorian higher education.

It aligns with UNESCO and FATE principles to promote responsible AI adoption.

The framework positions UNL as a leader in reducing digital divide and brain drain.

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ecuador is not a technological option but a strategic imperative to prevent institutional obsolescence and academic irrelevance in Latin America. This paper presents the IA593 Framework, a governance, ethics, and operational model designed for the Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL) and scalable as a reference for the Ecuadorian higher education system. The current context reveals a critical urgency: the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index 2025 classifies Ecuador as a late awakening adopter, exposing severe structural gaps, including R and D investment of only 0.44 percent of GDP and a marginal contribution to global AI scientific output. Although a National Strategy for the Promotion of AI exists and calls for multisectoral governance, universities still lack internal regulations governing the use of Generative AI, placing academic integrity and data privacy at risk. The IA593 Framework addresses this challenge through five interconnected pillars aligned with the FATE principles of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics and UNESCO recommendations on AI ethics: Transversal Governance, Teaching and Training, Research, Outreach, and Management. This framework enables HEIs to move from passive technology consumption toward a sovereign and critical adoption of AI, ensuring compliance with national academic regulations and positioning UNL as a key actor in reducing the digital divide and brain drain in Ecuador.