Sources & Methodology
RioDeJaneiro.AI constructs its intelligence from a layered hierarchy of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Primary sources include official publications from the City of Rio de Janeiro (prefeitura.rio), Brazilian federal agencies (BNDES, MCTI, ABDI, ANATEL, EPE, ANEEL, Finep), corporate filings and press releases from Elea Data Centers, NVIDIA, Oracle, and other covered entities, and direct attendance at events including Web Summit Rio and Rio Innovation Week.
Secondary sources include institutional research from the IMF, World Bank, IEA, OECD, Atlantic Council, McKinsey Global Institute, Deloitte, and Brasscom (the Brazilian association for IT and communications companies). Industry data comes from Data Center Dynamics, Uptime Institute, Counterpoint Research, ION Analytics, and DE-CIX. Academic sources include published research from PUC-Rio, UFRJ/COPPE, IMPA, FGV, LNCC, MIT Senseable City Lab, and CESeC (Centro de Estudos de Segurança e Cidadania).
Tertiary sources — news reporting from Reuters, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Valor Econômico, NearshoreAmericas, and other outlets — are used for context and corroboration but are not relied upon as sole sourcing for factual claims. PR wire distributions (PR Newswire, Business Wire) are treated as corporate communications, not independent journalism.
Fact-Checking Standards
Every quantitative claim is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication. Infrastructure data (capacity, timeline, investment figures) is verified against official announcements and, where possible, regulatory filings. Energy figures are checked against EPE (Empresa de Pesquisa Energética) and ANEEL data. Financial projections are presented with appropriate caveats — we distinguish between committed investment, announced investment, projected impact, and speculative estimates.
Where sources conflict — for example, different reports cite different numbers for Rio's data center count (16–23) — we present the range and explain the discrepancy rather than selecting the most favorable figure. When widely cited numbers (such as the US$65 billion projection) originate from a single source or methodology that cannot be independently verified, we note this explicitly.
How We Handle MoUs vs. Contracts
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is a non-binding cooperation agreement that signals intent but carries no legal obligation to invest, build, or deliver. Many of Rio AI City's partnerships — including those with NVIDIA, Oracle, and Tapestry/Google X — are MoU-based. RioDeJaneiro.AI always identifies whether a partnership is based on a binding contract or an MoU, and we do not describe MoU-based partnerships using language that implies contractual commitment. When a partnership converts from MoU to binding agreement, we report the conversion as a distinct development.
Update Frequency
New articles are published weekly, with increased frequency around major events (Web Summit Rio in June, Rio Innovation Week in August). Existing content is reviewed quarterly for accuracy. Data points — capacity figures, investment totals, timeline milestones — are updated as new official reports are published. The pillar analysis on the homepage is updated continuously as material developments occur. Every article displays its publication date and most recent modification date.
Correction Policy
Errors of fact are corrected promptly upon identification. Corrections are displayed as dated correction notes at the top of the affected article — we do not silently edit published content. Material corrections (those affecting the substance of an article's conclusions) are flagged with a prominent correction notice. Minor corrections (typos, formatting, broken links) are made without formal correction notices but are logged in our internal editorial record. To report an error, contact [email protected].
Editorial Independence
RioDeJaneiro.AI has no commercial relationship, sponsorship agreement, content licensing arrangement, or financial interest in any entity covered in our reporting. This includes Elea Data Centers, the City of Rio de Janeiro, NVIDIA, Oracle, Google/Alphabet/Tapestry, Goldman Sachs, BNDES, Axia Energia, Light S.A., Porto Maravalley, or any startup or company in the Rio AI ecosystem. No advertiser, sponsor, or commercial partner has any influence over editorial decisions, story selection, or content framing.
When Google AdSense advertising appears on our pages, it is served programmatically and is not curated or selected by our editorial team. The presence of advertising from any company does not imply editorial endorsement.
Responsible Intelligence & Ethics Coverage
We are committed to covering not only the opportunities but also the risks, criticisms, and ethical concerns surrounding Rio's AI transformation. This includes documented racial bias in facial recognition systems (CESeC research finding 90%+ of arrests involve Black individuals), academic critiques of smart city governance models (ScienceDirect published research), speculative investment concerns (ION Analytics observations), regulatory uncertainty (pending Congressional approvals), and the civil liberties implications of surveillance expansion. We believe responsible intelligence serves our readers better than promotional coverage.
Conflict of Interest & Disclosure
All potential conflicts of interest are disclosed. If a contributor has a professional or financial relationship with a covered entity, that relationship is disclosed in the article byline. If RioDeJaneiro.AI enters any commercial arrangement (affiliate partnerships, sponsored content, lead generation agreements) that could create a perceived conflict, the arrangement is disclosed prominently on the affected content. As of February 2026, no such arrangements exist.
Author Qualifications
Contributors to RioDeJaneiro.AI are vetted for direct professional experience in the sectors they cover. Our editorial team includes specialists in data center infrastructure and energy systems, Latin American technology markets and venture capital, Brazilian regulatory and tax policy (including REDATA, ISS Tech, and Marco Legal da IA), urban planning and smart city operations, AI governance, ethics, and bias research, and international investment and cross-border advisory. The founding editor holds an MBA from Imperial College London with expertise in government advisory and institutional banking.
This editorial policy was last updated on February 15, 2026. Questions or concerns about our editorial standards should be directed to [email protected].