Latin America AI index adds Estonia to its comparisons

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

ECLAC, working with Chile’s National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), has released the fourth Latin American Index of Artificial Intelligence, ILIA 2026. The index finds that connectivity remains essential but is no longer enough. It identifies the region’s largest gaps as computing capacity, AI adoption by businesses and the implementation of national strategies.

The report analyses the AI ecosystems of 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. For the first time, it also includes comparisons with Germany, Spain, Estonia, Portugal and Singapore, based on a selected set of indicators. The source does not give Estonia’s scores or ranking.

ECLAC Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs said that for Latin America and the Caribbean the question is not only how to access these technologies but how to use them strategically against key development challenges. He warned that passive incorporation may deepen dependencies and widen existing gaps and inequalities.

The report says wider access is not enough. Infrastructure, data, talent, research and institutional capacity need to be connected so they produce innovation, productivity and economic and social value. It also points to areas where national capacity may be insufficient, including computing, research, advanced talent and participation in international standards-setting, and says cooperation can help countries share capabilities.

ILIA 2026 records progress in institutional frameworks, with challenges remaining in putting them into practice. It found that 85 per cent of the countries analysed have a national AI strategy in force or in development, and 75 per cent have an institution formally tasked with leading the agenda. 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 brought AI into school curricula, and all 20 countries offer graduate programmes. Specialised skills in the labour market remain scarce. Estimated AI adoption is 27.6 per cent among large companies, 12.8 per cent among medium-sized companies and 6.8 per cent among small companies.

CENIA Director Álvaro Soto said ILIA has become a fundamental tool for decision-making in the region and cautioned that the region is facing a revolution in the computerisation of society. He added that instruments like ILIA are an emergency because today’s decisions are fundamental and cooperation is the means, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Salazar-Xirinachs said the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean, eLAC, offers a platform to coordinate cooperation and strengthen the region’s role in the international governance of AI. ECLAC said the index gives governments an evidence base to assess progress, set priorities and strengthen AI strategies so the technology supports innovation, productivity and inclusion in line with the region’s development priorities.