Latin America and the Caribbean face the challenge of integrating the artificial intelligence (IA) to their production processes without deepening existing inequalities.
With this approach, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) organized the seminar "Artificial intelligence for productivity and development."The event was attended by experts, officials and representatives of the private sector to analyze the challenges and opportunities of this technology in the region.
During the meeting, both organizations presented recent studies conceived as inputs for the formulation of public policies focused on a inclusive development.
An AI without equity can deepen the inequalities it seeks to solve
Ángel González-SanzUNCTAD's head of Science, Technology and Information, presented the Technology and Innovation Report 2025: Inclusive Artificial Intelligence for Development in which it is noted that the accelerated progress of the IA can widen the gaps if adequate governance frameworks are not in place.
The report proposes three pillars for responsible adoption:
- Technological infrastructure
- Human capabilities
- Data
In addition, it stresses that the IA should complement human labor, not replace it, and that developing countries need strategies adapted to their contexts, not imported models.
From ECLAC, Sebastian Rovira underlined that the investment in IA at Latin America remains low, with figures below 0.05% of GDP in countries such as Argentina and Brazil.
He warned that real impact is only achieved when combined with robust digital ecosystems, skilled talent and strengthened institutions.
"We have many elements to enhance a more articulated regional work, minimizing fragmentation and taking advantage of our capabilities to accelerate the digital transformation," he considered.
One second studyThe study, focused on Brazil, shows that factors such as company size, technological environment and prior use of digital technologies directly influence the adoption of IA. In particular, it emphasizes that the Generative AI has proven to increase productivity in sectors such as sales and marketing.
Without regional strategy, AI may benefit only a few
The seminar also included a panel discussion in which the urgency of advancing an articulated regional strategy was highlighted.
Rodrigo Duránof Chile's National Center for Artificial Intelligence, warned that the technological gap can result in a loss of talent and opportunities. Virginia Pardo (Uruguay) and Alexandre Barbosa (Brazil) agreed on the need to strengthen regulatory frameworks, comparable data and state capacities.
Source: ECLAC
