Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay Recognized as Leaders in Latin American AI Development

The ILIA 2024 highlights Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay as leaders in AI development, showing significant progress in enabling factors, research, and governance. Despite improvements, no Latin American country matches the Global North’s workforce participation in AI. Chile leads the index with 73.07 points, while Brazil and Uruguay follow closely. The report emphasizes both achievements and challenges, particularly in talent retention and equitable inclusion in the AI sector.

The Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA) for 2024 reaffirms Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay as leaders in the region, all classified as “pioneers”. Their advancements are evident across three key dimensions: enabling factors, research and development, and governance. Notable contributions include technological infrastructure, talent development, and innovation capacity, highlighting improvements in AI across 19 assessed countries in Latin America.

On September 24, 2024, Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) announced the findings of the ILIA 2024 study. Chile topped the index with 73.07 points, followed by Brazil at 69.30 and Uruguay at 64.98, revealing a clear leadership in AI preparedness among the 19 countries analyzed.

Countries like Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico were classified as “adopters” with scores of 55.77, 52.64, and 51.40, respectively. Despite a doubling of AI talent concentration over the past eight years, none of the Latin American nations have reached the workforce participation levels of more developed countries in the Global North at the same point in time.

The surveyed pioneers, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, actively implement AI technologies and shape national strategies for expansion into various economic sectors. Moreover, they benefit from an environment conducive to the research, development, and innovation of AI technologies and policies.

Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Aisén Etcheverry, remarked, “Having an index of this kind helps us move forward with sound policies and is critical for the success of these strategies.” The index serves as a valuable tool for understanding the implications of AI in society and the economy, as well as maintaining a focus on development challenges in the region.

ECLAC’s Acting Deputy Executive Secretary, Javier Medina Vásquez, emphasized that AI holds immense potential for driving innovation in sectors such as health, education, and environmental management. However, urgent action is necessary to prevent exacerbating socioeconomic disparities by enhancing investment, infrastructure, education, and regulations surrounding AI.

Furthermore, Claudia Gintersdorfer, the European Union Ambassador in Chile, highlighted the EU-LAC Digital Alliance’s focus on human-centered digital transformation. This ongoing collaboration aims to prioritize initiatives such as AI for mutual benefit across both regions, reinforcing shared goals in digitalization and development.

Rodrigo Durán from CENIA discussed the potential for generative AI to enhance productivity, predicting a growth increase of 1.21 percentage points if integrated into key job sectors in Chile. He noted, however, that Latin America still lags behind in specialized AI talent retention, with only Costa Rica and Uruguay effectively attracting talent.

The index demonstrates that while the leaders excel in enabling factors, research, and governance, many countries demand substantial improvements. The average score for research, development, and adoption across all surveyed countries is low, indicating a need for increased investment and motivation in AI.

The ILIA revealed a remarkable rise in multidisciplinary publications related to AI, with clinical medicine topping the list. Infrastructure ratings place Uruguay and Chile at the forefront, while Brazil leads in data availability. The study also observed high computational capacities among these leading nations.

AI’s influence on development and entrepreneurship is notable in highly competitive economies like Brazil and Mexico, which experience significant innovation through patents and unicorn companies. In contrast, countries such as Chile and Uruguay foster startup growth and private investment in a more productive entrepreneurial environment.

Concerning AI governance, Chile showcases a robust framework supporting long-term strategic visions for ethical AI implementation across various levels of government. Efforts are underway to ensure compliance and legal certainty for AI deployment in both public and private sectors.

Nevertheless, challenges persist in ensuring equitable representation of women in AI research and development, alongside the need to prioritize resources and initiatives for AI in critical areas of development.

The ILIA 2024 report underscores the significant strides that Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay have made in artificial intelligence, categorizing them as leaders in the region. Their effective governance, research and development efforts, and enabling factors position them well for future advancements in AI technologies. The report also identifies the ongoing challenges in talent retention and equitable representation in AI fields, necessitating strategic attention and resource allocation to ensure continued progress and inclusion.

Original Source: www.cepal.org