Latin America and the Caribbean urged to take ownership of artificial intelligence

SANTIAGO, Chile, CMC – The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says the region must take greater ownership of artificial intelligence (AI) to address its main development challenges, as technological capabilities become increasingly important for competitiveness and development.

ECLAC, in collaboration with Chile’s National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), has released the fourth edition of the Latin American Index of Artificial Intelligence (ILIA 2026), which shows that while connectivity remains essential, it is no longer enough.

The report identifies the region’s largest gaps as computing capacity, AI adoption by businesses, and the implementation of national strategies.

It notes that Latin America and the Caribbean must address several challenges, particularly low economic growth, high inequality, low social mobility and cohesion, and weak institutional capacity and ineffective governance.

The report says increasing access to these technologies is not enough. It is also necessary to connect infrastructure, data, talent, research and institutional capacities to translate them into innovation, productivity, and economic and social value.

The report analyses the AI ecosystems of 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and, for the first time, includes comparisons with Germany, Spain, Estonia, Portugal and Singapore, based on a selected set of indicators.

“For Latin America and the Caribbean, the question is not only how to access these technologies but how to use them strategically to take on our key development challenges. Passive incorporation may not only deepen dependencies but even expand existing gaps and inequalities in the region,” said ECLAC Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.

The report identifies areas in which national capacity may be insufficient, including computing, research, advanced talent and participation in international standards-setting.

CENIA Director Álvaro Soto agreed that ILIA has become a fundamental tool for decision-making in the region, cautioning that “we are facing a revolution of the computerization of our society”.

“Instruments like the ILIA are no longer a need, they are an emergency, because the decisions we make today are fundamental, and cooperation is more than the path, it is the means, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he added.

ILIA 2026 shows progress in establishing institutional frameworks for AI development, although challenges remain in putting them into practice.

The report found that 85 per cent of the countries analysed have a national AI strategy in force or in development, while 75 per cent have an institution formally tasked with leading the agenda. However, only Brazil and Colombia have explicitly allocated budgets for AI within their national frameworks.

In research and education, 65 per cent of the countries have specialised research centres, more than half have incorporated AI into school curricula, and all 20 countries analysed offer graduate programmes. Despite this progress, the availability of specialised skills in the labour market remains low.

In the business sector, the report estimates that AI adoption stands at 27.6 per cent among large companies, compared with 12.8 per cent among medium-sized companies and 6.8 per cent among small companies.

AI development also highlights areas in which national capacity may be insufficient. Computing, research, advanced talent and participation in international standards-setting are among the fields in which cooperation between countries can help leverage resources, share capabilities and create synergies.

In this regard, Salazar-Xirinachs said the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC) offers a platform to coordinate cooperation and strengthen the region’s participation in the international governance of AI.

ECLAC said ILIA 2026 provides an evidence base for governments to assess their progress, identify priorities and strengthen their AI development strategies. Its contribution lies in offering a comparative view of national ecosystems and the conditions needed to connect technological capabilities with productive transformation.

“The goal is for artificial intelligence to not only be a technology the region incorporates but rather for it to contribute to expanding its possibilities for innovation, productivity, and inclusion, in accordance with Latin America and the Caribbean’s development priorities,” ECLAC added.

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