The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has released the second edition of the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA), highlighting Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay as the region’s leaders in AI readiness.
These countries, categorized as “pioneers” in the ILIA 2024, have demonstrated significant maturity in three key dimensions: enabling factors, research, development and adoption, and governance.
The ILIA 2024, presented on September 24, 2024, by the National Center for Artificial Intelligence of Chile (CENIA) and ECLAC, evaluated the AI preparedness of 19 countries in the region. Chile topped the ranking with a score of 73.07, followed by Brazil with 69.30, and Uruguay with 64.981.
These leading nations have made notable strides in technological infrastructure, specialized talent development, scientific productivity, and innovation capacity. Their efforts in AI implementation are supported by favorable environments that promote research, development, and the adoption of AI technologies.
Aisén Etcheverry, Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, emphasized the importance of the index: "Having an index of this nature helps us advance with consistent policies and is fundamental for the success of these strategies.”
“The future imagined by young people is filled with fears about how AI will replace them. This is the level of change and digital transformation we are all talking about. We are proud to be in a good position, which means that as a state, we have prepared ourselves."
The ILIA 2024 also revealed that while the region has doubled the concentration of AI talent in the workforce over the past eight years, no country has yet reached the levels seen in the global north at the beginning of the same period. Despite this, the pioneering countries are not only advancing in AI technology implementation but are also directing their national strategies towards the consolidation and expansion of these technologies across all sectors of their economies and societies.
In terms of AI governance, Chile has shown a high level of development through public policies that transcend governments, promoting a long-term strategic vision for the ethical and responsible adoption of AI technology. This includes a regulatory framework that provides legal security and clear guidelines for AI implementation in both public and private sectors.
The ILIA 2024 underscores the critical role of AI in transforming development models in Latin America and the Caribbean to make them more productive, inclusive, and sustainable. However, to fully harness AI’s opportunities and mitigate its potential threats, strategic vision, regulation, and regional and multilateral coordination are essential.
