Puriscal unanimously approves CITIA for technological innovation and artificial intelligence

In Puriscal, artificial intelligence is no longer only a tool for citizen services. Since July 31, 2026, it has also become part of a public governance structure charged with examining its purpose, limits and long-term development.

The Municipal Council unanimously created the Special Commission for Technological Innovation and Artificial Intelligence, known by its Spanish acronym, CITIA. The decision gives the local government a formal forum in which to study proposals, set priorities, build partnerships and oversee the responsible use of emerging technologies.

What the council approved

CITIA is a special commission of the Municipal Council. Its mandate brings together technological innovation, digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Initiatives considered by the commission must serve the public interest and remain subject to municipal rules, oversight and accountability.

The vote does not, by itself, authorize the purchase or deployment of any technology. Instead, it creates the institutional setting in which projects can be examined, prioritized and monitored before proceeding through the applicable administrative, budgetary and procurement processes.

English guide to the council record

The first portion of the video records the formal reading of the motion. It describes a commission intended to promote public policy for local technological innovation, encourage the ethical use of AI, modernize municipal services and connect Puriscal with educational institutions, public agencies, technology companies and international organizations.

Beginning at approximately 04:43, the motion is introduced for council consideration and its institutional purpose is discussed. At approximately 09:33, council members vote. The motion is approved unanimously and then ratified, completing the formal decision shown in the excerpt.

A structure designed for continuity

A chatbot, workflow automation or data system can solve a specific problem. CITIA creates a path for those solutions to gain institutional continuity, shared direction and clear controls rather than depending on isolated efforts or a single administration.

Innovation will now have a space for public deliberation. The commission can ask what problem a project is meant to solve, which data it requires, how risks will be managed, how outcomes will be measured and who remains accountable for each decision.

Leadership from the Mayor's Office

Mayor Iris Arroyo Herrera presented the motion. Her administration has placed institutional modernization and citizen services at the center of Puriscal's municipal agenda. The proposal recognizes that responsible adoption is not about following an AI trend; it is about building public capacity to use technology with purpose, safeguards and continuity.

During the session, the council connected the decision with strengths already present in the canton, including technical education, local capacity building and municipal services supported by artificial intelligence.

Technology cooperation with TicoNeural Studio

CITIA was created in the context of the technology cooperation agreements between the Municipality of Puriscal and TicoNeural Studio. Those agreements have enabled citizen-service and municipal-automation solutions to be implemented, tested and refined under real operating conditions.

The resulting experience can help the municipality evaluate outcomes, identify needs, document lessons and turn working projects into sustainable institutional capabilities. CITIA may recommend priorities and strengthen public oversight while the municipality retains its full legal authority and decision-making responsibilities.

CITIA's local-development agenda

The approved motion outlines a broad agenda for the canton.

• Promote public policy for local technological innovation.
• Advance the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
• Modernize administrative processes and municipal services.
• Build partnerships with Puriscal's technical high school, universities, public institutions, technology companies and international organizations.
• Monitor strategic digital-transformation projects.
• Strengthen entrepreneurship, education and access to technology opportunities across the canton.

What comes next

With the commission formally created, the next step is to appoint its members and approve its composition. An initial roadmap may include a technology assessment for the canton, an inventory of current initiatives, governance criteria and public indicators for tracking progress.

The immediate test will be practical: choose clearly defined problems and demonstrate verifiable results. Relevant measures may include shorter response times, simpler procedures, better access to public information, effective data protection and continuity of service.

A reference point for other local governments

The question is no longer simply whether a local government should use artificial intelligence. Public institutions must also define what it will be used for, which safeguards it requires, how performance will be measured and how decisions will be explained to residents.

Puriscal's experience may offer a practical reference for other municipalities in Costa Rica and beyond. Technology will continue to change. The public obligation to justify decisions, protect rights, measure outcomes and remain accountable will not.

A unanimous decision to look forward

The council's unanimous vote places digital transformation within Puriscal's institutional agenda. Through CITIA, the canton can build policy, partnerships and local capabilities under public oversight.

Puriscal is no longer only using artificial intelligence. It has now created the public body responsible for governing how that technology evolves.