The region accounts for 14% of global visits to AI web solutions, surpassing its share of Internet users, and ranks third worldwide in downloads of generative AI applications.

Last updated: 10/02/2025

    The ILIA 2025, prepared by the National Center for Artificial Intelligence of Chile (CENIA) in collaboration with ECLAC and with the support of the EU–LAC Digital Alliance project, evaluates AI preparedness, adoption, and governance in 19 countries. 

It is based on more than 100 sub‑indicators across three dimensions: enabling factors; research, development, and adoption; and governance.ILIA 2025 provides a detailed overview of regional progress while simultaneously highlighting critical gaps in investment, human talent, and effective policies. 

Regional overview: pronounced heterogeneity among countries

    The Index groups countries into three categories, according to their level of progress. Some consolidate leadership positions, others advance at an intermediate pace, and others remain at initial stages.

ILIA 2025: overall score, by dimension and sub-dimensions (Base index 100)

Source: ILIA 2025

 

• •Pioneers (>60 points): Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, leaders in infrastructure, talent, and innovation.
• •Adopters (35–60 points): Eight countries — among them Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic — that have narrowed the gap with the leaders thanks to improvements in connectivity, talent, and national strategies.
• •Explorers (<35 points): More than one third of the countries remain at initial stages, with incipient ecosystems and limited capacities.

Main findings of ILIA 2025:

1. Awakening of late adopters. Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala are rapidly advancing in connectivity, talent, and AI strategies.
2. Human talent:literacy, little specialization. Scores in AI literacy indicators are double those obtained in professional training and quadruple those in advanced talent.
3. Talent and infrastructure for digital sovereignty: 90% of supercomputing capacity is located in Brazil, and more than half of the countries lack critical infrastructure and advanced training in AI. These gaps limit their ability to generate solutions tailored to local realities.
4. Generative AI as a democratizing force: Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Uruguay, Panama, and the Dominican Republic lead in usage; the region ranks third worldwide in downloads of AI applications.
5. AI Entrepreneurship: The 19 ILIA countries receive only 1.12% of global investment in AI, although they already count unicorns in six countries; favorable environments can trigger innovation even in less complex economies.
6. AI and citizen participation, an untapped potential: In most countries, use is limited to chatbots. Colombia, Mexico, and Peru show progress, but eight countries report no applications for consultation or co‑creation of policies.
7. Abundant but little‑available data: Openness and standardization remain limited, hindering open science and transparency.
8. Scarce and concentrated research: Brazil and Mexico account for 68% of researchers and, together with Chile, Argentina, and Colombia, for 90% of publications. Only seven countries participate in elite conferences.
9. Governance with limited execution: National strategies lack budgets, implementation, and evaluation, rendering them statements without action.
10. Sustainability pending: Only four countries have robust data center industries; most policies overlook environmental impacts.
11. Open source as an opportunity: Honduras, El Salvador, and Cuba stand out in open‑source software production, fostering local solutions and algorithmic transparency.

Summary and key data

• •Accelerated adoption: The region surpasses expectations in AI use, with emphasis on solutions with low technical requirements and high demand among MSMEs.
• •Talent gaps: The distance from the world average has widened since 2022, marked by an accelerated loss of specialists. Thirteen of the 19 countries do not generate early AI skills, and 11 lack doctoral programs in their universities.
• •Insufficient investment: Only 1.12% of global investment in AI, compared with 6.6% of global GDP.
• •Limited governance: More national strategies exist, but without financing or implementation mechanisms.
• •Emerging opportunities: The use of end‑user solutions with low technical requirements can democratize innovation and entrepreneurship and strengthen productivity in economies of different scales and structures with favorable environments.

    ILIA 2025 confirms that Latin America and the Caribbean are adopting AI dynamically, but face critical gaps in talent, investment, and infrastructure.

To transform AI into an engine of development, it is necessary to:

• •Integrate AI strategies with sectoral policies, particularly those on productive development.
• •Ensure an ethical, inclusive, and sustainable approach.
• •Strengthen regional cooperation.

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