1 Million Brazilians Will Be Trained in AI While Target Allows ‘Sensual’ Conversations with Children - The Ethical Paradox of the Last 24 Hours

While Brazil accelerates the training of 1 million professionals in artificial intelligence by 2028, internal documents reveal that Meta allowed romantic conversations between AI and children. This contradiction of the last 24 hours exposes the paradoxical moment we are living in: accelerated progress in national AI training alongside serious ethical failings by the tech giants.

The AI Training Boom in Brazil

THE Amazon Web Services announces AWS Training Brazil program, AWS is launching an ambitious initiative to train 1 million Brazilians in artificial intelligence and cloud computing by 2028. The free program, launched during the AWS Summit São Paulo 2025, represents a significant investment in the democratization of AI knowledge in the country.

What strikes me most is the strategic partnership with institutions such as SENAI, Santander, IBMEC and Rede Federal. In my experience accelerating startups, I've always observed that the most successful initiatives are those that create collaborative ecosystems, not isolated islands of knowledge.

SENAI's figures are impressive: enrollment in AI courses has grown almost fivefold, The number of graduates will rise from 11,400 in 2023 to 53,400 in 2024. Only SENAI will offer 200,000 free places until December 2026.

This movement reminds me of the early days of the Brazilian startup ecosystem. I see the same energy, the same transformative potential. The difference is that we now have the experience and infrastructure to scale quickly.

The Dark Side: When AI Fails Ethics

While we celebrate progress in education, internal Meta documents revealed that the company allowed its AI systems to hold romantic or sensual conversations with children on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

The 200-plus page document, approved by Meta's own legal and ethics teams, contained explicit examples of behavior deemed “acceptable”, including phrases such as “every inch of you is a masterpiece - a treasure I cherish deeply” directed at minors.

As someone who has always defended the importance of diversity and inclusion in innovation ecosystems, this episode worries me deeply. It's not just a technical failure - it's a systemic failure of governance and values.

The situation becomes even more complex when we consider that Meta is losing AI talent to competitors such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. According to reported data, the retention rate at Meta is only 64%, while competitors like Anthropic reach 80%.

Why does this happen?

In my experience mentoring startups, I've noticed that ethical problems often arise when there is excessive pressure for quick results. The Forbes report confirms this: Meta's internal culture changed after 2023, with greater pressure for quick releases, damaging the research environment.

This is a wake-up call for all companies adopting AI. Speed without ethical governance is a recipe for disaster.

AI in Practice: Real Use Cases in Brazil

Fortunately, it's not all bad news. The Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul are using AI to combat virtual scams, analyzing fraud patterns and identifying national and international criminal networks.

Since April, 10 operations have been carried out in 10 states, resulting in 40 arrests. This demonstrates how AI can be a powerful tool for social good when applied with a clear purpose and proper governance.

During the AWS Summit, Paula Bellizia, VP of AWS for Latin America, highlighted successful national cases such as Ânima Educação, Liberty Health, Natura and Itaú, which apply generative AI with a focus on solving concrete problems.

This approach resonates deeply with me. In all my years supporting startups, I've learned that technology without a clear purpose is just an expensive tool. The value lies in applying it intelligently to solve real problems.

The Future of Entrepreneurship: One Person Unicorns?

One of the most fascinating pieces of news in recent hours came from Folha, quoting The Economist, on the possibility of AI creating the first unicorn driven by a single person.

The example cited is Sarah Gwilliam, who created Solace, a company that uses AI to help people deal with grief, operating with virtually no human employees by outsourcing functions to AI agents.

This phenomenon leads me to reflect on the future of entrepreneurship. For decades, I've followed the evolution of startups - from companies that needed tens of millions to get off the ground to those that can scale with few resources.

AI represents a new level in this democratization. But it comes with unique challenges:

• Access to the capital: Even with lower operating costs, competing for attention and resources remains difficult
• Competition with giants: Big tech companies can copy ideas quickly
• Technical limitations: AI agents still face problems such as “hallucinations” and errors
• Human aspects: Certain functions - especially leadership and relationships - remain essentially human

Regulation and Copyright: The New Battleground

The debate on AI-generated music played in commercial establishments exposes another complex facet of technology adoption. Ecad continues to collect royalties, but faces difficulties in distributing amounts appropriately, since there is no clarity about the authorship of AI-generated works.

This situation perfectly illustrates why we need clear regulatory frameworks. The National Congress is discussing regulations that include transparency in the origins of AI works - a necessary measure to avoid legal uncertainty.

Apple and the Future of Virtual Assistants

We can't ignore the fact that Apple is preparing a complete overhaul of Siri with advanced AI features, scheduled for 2026 along with the iPhone 18 line.

The new Siri promises to perform complex tasks such as editing and sending photos or interacting with applications without manual intervention. This represents a qualitative leap in the user experience and could redefine expectations of virtual assistants.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Leaders

Looking at this panorama of the last 24 hours, I draw some important lessons:

1. Training is an Investment, Not a Cost

Brazil's mass training movement shows that countries and companies that invest in AI education will now have a significant competitive advantage. This is no different from what we saw with programming 20 years ago.

2. Ethics is not optional

Meta's problems show that ethical failures can quickly destroy value. For startups and companies, this means investing in governance from the outset, not as an afterthought.

3. Focus on Real Problems

As Paula Bellizia from AWS pointed out, success with AI comes from solving concrete problems. Technology for technology's sake does not generate sustainable value.

4. Prepare for New Business Models

The potential of “solo unicorns” suggests that traditional organizational structures can be rethought. This creates opportunities, but also requires new leadership skills.

What this means for Brazil

Brazil is well positioned in this new scenario. We have:

• Capacity building initiatives at scale: 1 million people being trained by 2028
• Practical use cases: From public security to large corporations
• Mature innovation ecosystem: Startup and acceleration infrastructure already in place
• Diversity and creativity: Characteristics that can be competitive differentiators in the age of AI

But we need to be aware of the risks. The speed of transformation can create exclusion if we don't adequately democratize access. And ethical and regulatory issues need to be addressed proactively.

Final Reflection

The last 24 hours have shown us the duality of the AI revolution: immense potential for positive transformation, alongside significant ethical risks.

As a leader who has followed the evolution of the Brazilian innovation ecosystem, I see this moment as similar to the early days of the commercial internet or the startup boom. There are huge opportunities, but also the responsibility to build with clear purpose and values.

The question is not whether AI will transform business and society - it is already doing that. The question is whether we will be able to navigate this transformation in an ethical, inclusive and sustainable way.

For entrepreneurs, leaders and professionals, my advice is: invest in training, stay focused on solving real problems, and never give up ethical values. AI is a powerful tool, but it is we humans who define how it will be used.

In my mentoring work, I help startups and companies navigate these transformations with a clear strategy and defined purpose. If you want to seize the opportunities of AI without losing sight of the human and ethical aspects of the business, let's talk.