Mapping the adoption of artificial intelligence in Brazilian basic education: technological dependence and (non-)digital sovereignty

Abstract

The growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Brazil's public education systems has given technology companies an increasingly prominent role in providing systems and tools for teaching, educational management, and the monitoring of educational processes. This article maps AI adoption in Brazilian public basic education and examines how it is reshaping relations between the state and technology companies, giving rise to new forms of technological dependence. The study uses an exploratory, document-based approach, combining quantitative mapping with qualitative document analysis. The sources include institutional documents, contracts, public procurement notices, Official Gazettes, and government transparency websites. As of July 2026, the mapping identified 121 initiatives involving 71 providers, with contracts totaling more than BRL 3.1 billion. The findings point to the recurrent involvement of a relatively small set of providers, the growing presence of digital platforms across multiple areas of education policy, and, most notably, limited transparency in public contracting. We argue that technological dependence stems not only from reliance on privately developed systems, but also from the incorporation into public policy of the metrics, categories, and interpretive frameworks embedded in these platforms. From this perspective, digital sovereignty goes beyond the domestic development of technology. It also depends on the state’s capacity to understand and audit the systems it adopts, make informed decisions about their use, and retain control over the infrastructures that increasingly shape educational decision-making.