Latin America and the Caribbean urged to take ownership of artificial intelligence

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

ECLAC, in collaboration with Chile’s National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), has released the fourth edition of the Latin American Index of Artificial Intelligence (ILIA 2026), which shows that while connectivity remains essential, it is no longer enough.

The report identifies the region’s largest gaps as computing capacity, AI adoption by businesses, and the implementation of national strategies.