By Alejandro Inzunza, Co-founder of Pharu Analytics and Managing Partner at Symnetics
Latin America has been repeating the same phrase for decades: “we have potential.” Potential in talent, industries, and creativity. But when we look at the data on artificial intelligence —the greatest technological revolution of the past 50 years— that potential seems to remain just a promise.
Just look at the fastest-growing and most valuable companies in the world, especially in the United States: almost all of them have AI at the core of their strategy. In contrast, in Latin America—aside from a few exceptions—we remain largely absent from that map. The era when simply opening new markets was enough is over. Today, the difference is made by those who get on board—and fast—with artificial intelligence.
According to the latest report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), our region represents 6.3% of the global economy, but accounts for only 1.6% of AI investment. While the United States invests more than $78 billion a year, Asia $61 billion, and Europe $22 billion, all of Latin America combined invests only $2.6 billion. Another clear sign of our delay in adopting technologies that are already reshaping the present.
And the most troubling part isn’t just the numbers. It’s the sense that no one seems surprised. Presidents, ministers, and business leaders in the region remain focused on the same old controversies, as if artificial intelligence were a luxury we can afford to think about later.
What many don’t realize is that “later” has already passed. Today, it’s not about gaining an advantage, but about avoiding an irreversible disadvantage. AI is transforming virtually every industry. It’s no longer about choosing between technology and traditional sectors—even fields like agriculture and construction are integrating AI to remain competitive.
Part of our team works from Boston, at the heart of AI innovation. And even from there, it’s hard to keep up with the pace at which new tools and breakthroughs emerge. Over there, the debate is no longer whether to invest, but how to accelerate adoption. That gap isn’t just geographic—it’s strategic.
Latin America has the talent and the opportunities. But we continue to take a passive, hesitant stance, as if innovating were a risk. The truth is, the real risk lies not in making the wrong investments, but in failing to invest at all. Every day we postpone this conversation, we lose competitiveness, productivity, and relevance.
We are not doomed to be consumers of someone else’s technology. But we need leadership that’s willing to break the comfort of inaction. Because potential, without strategy or execution, doesn’t change anything.
