WHO'S LEADING AI EFFORTS IN LATAM?

The answer isn’t about who talks the most about AI — it’s about who is building the real conditions to deploy it.

The Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA) evaluates countries across two key dimensions: governance (policies and regulatory frameworks) and research, development, and adoption.

Chile and Brazil lead the region, but for different reasons. Chile stands out with the highest adoption rate, close to 68%, combined with strong governance. Brazil differentiates itself through market scale and institutional strength, with adoption around 60%.

A second group, including Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic, shows meaningful progress, although still constrained by scale or coordination gaps.

Mexico presents a more complex case. Despite being the region’s second-largest economy, it lags in governance, with one of the lowest scores among mid-tier countries.

At the other end of the spectrum, Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras, Paraguay, Guatemala, and El Salvador combine low governance and low adoption. The gap relative to leading countries remains significant and cannot be closed without structural changes.

These differences are not abstract. They determine where companies choose to operate, where critical data is hosted, and which AI applications are economically viable.

AI is no longer just a technology theme. It is a defining factor of competitiveness and will shape the economic positioning of countries over the coming decades.

By DealMaker Insights | DealMaker