Chile is the best-prepared country in Latin America and the Caribbean for artificial intelligence for the fourth year in a row, scoring 71.4 out of 100 in the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA) 2026, by CENIA and ECLAC. It is followed by Brazil, with 68.4, and Uruguay, with 67.0, all three in the "pioneers" group. The fourth edition of the index was presented on October 20, 2026 and measures 20 countries using 126 sub-indicators, according to the CENIA press release. For the first time it includes Trinidad and Tobago and is compared with five countries from outside the region: Germany, Spain, Estonia, Portugal and Singapore.
Chile's lead coexists with clear gaps: Chile has just 2.1% of the region's graphics processors (GPUs) for AI, business adoption is estimated at 13.5% and its national AI strategy has no dedicated budget, according to La Tercera. These are the results of the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index 2026, country by country.
View the data as a table
| Chile's score, 1st of 20 | 71.4 |
| Share of the region's GPUs located in Brazil | 87.7% |
| People aged 15 to 64 who use generative AI | 16.1% |
| Countries with AI in the school curriculum | 11 |
Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index 2026 ranking
The ILIA sorts countries into three groups. Pioneers score above 60 points; adopters are between 35 and 60, and explorers are below 35. Colombia (56.8), Costa Rica (56.0) and Argentina (55.6) lead the adopters group, and Peru (52.7) and Mexico (52.0) rank 7th and 8th. Venezuela, with 23.2, is last.
| Rank | Country | Score | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chile | 71.4 | Pioneer |
| 2 | Brazil | 68.4 | Pioneer |
| 3 | Uruguay | 67.0 | Pioneer |
| 4 | Colombia | 56.8 | Adopter |
| 5 | Costa Rica | 56.0 | Adopter |
| 6 | Argentina | 55.6 | Adopter |
| 7 | Peru | 52.7 | Adopter |
| 8 | Mexico | 52.0 | Adopter |
| 9 | Ecuador | 51.8 | Adopter |
| 10 | Dominican Rep. | 45.1 | Adopter |
| 11 | Panama | 39.3 | Adopter |
| 12 | El Salvador | 37.9 | Adopter |
| 13 | Trinidad and Tobago | 35.5 | Adopter |
| 14 | Paraguay | 32.6 | Explorer |
| 15 | Jamaica | 32.4 | Explorer |
| 16 | Cuba | 30.9 | Explorer |
| 17 | Guatemala | 29.9 | Explorer |
| 18 | Bolivia | 26.4 | Explorer |
| 19 | Honduras | 26.2 | Explorer |
| 20 | Venezuela | 23.2 | Explorer |
Source: Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA) 2026, by CENIA and ECLAC, accessed November 14, 2026. Guatemala appears with 29.9 points on the index website and with 29.0 in the La Tercera article; we use the official website figure.
View the data as a table
| Chile | 71.4 · Pioneer |
| Brazil | 68.4 · Pioneer |
| Uruguay | 67.0 · Pioneer |
| Colombia | 56.8 · Adopter |
| Costa Rica | 56.0 · Adopter |
| Argentina | 55.6 · Adopter |
| Peru | 52.7 · Adopter |
| Mexico | 52.0 · Adopter |
| Ecuador | 51.8 · Adopter |
| Dominican Republic | 45.1 · Adopter |
| Panama | 39.3 · Adopter |
| El Salvador | 37.9 · Adopter |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 35.5 · Adopter |
| Paraguay | 32.6 · Explorer |
| Jamaica | 32.4 · Explorer |
| Cuba | 30.9 · Explorer |
| Guatemala | 29.9 · Explorer |
| Bolivia | 26.4 · Explorer |
| Honduras | 26.2 · Explorer |
| Venezuela | 23.2 · Explorer |
Why Chile leads the artificial intelligence index
The ILIA has three dimensions: enabling factors (infrastructure, data and talent), research, development and adoption, and governance. According to the CENIA press release and La Tercera, Chile scores 63.5 in enabling factors, 73.7 in research, development and adoption and 80.8 in governance, where Brazil beats it with 89.5. Its data ecosystem, at 77.6, is the best rated in the region.
In research, Chile publishes 41.9 scientific papers on AI per million people, the highest figure in the region, and its research sub-dimension reaches 78.6. In AI adoption by people, companies and public bodies it scores 74, behind Brazil (79). The weakness is money and machines: Chile spends 0.39% of GDP on research and development, above the regional average of 0.31% but far from Brazil's 1.19%.
View the data as a table
| Governance | 80.8 |
| Research, development and adoption | 73.7 |
| Enabling factors | 63.5 |
| Indicator | Chile | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| AI scientific papers per million people | 41.9 | highest in the region |
| R&D spending (% of GDP) | 0.39 | region: 0.31; Brazil: 1.19 |
| GPUs per million people | 18 | region: 8.5; Brazil: 71.4 |
| Companies using AI (estimate) | 13.5% | regional simple average: 9.1% |
| Budget for the national AI strategy | No | only Brazil and Colombia have one |
Source: La Tercera and CENIA press release. For context on each country's science effort, see the ranking of research and development spending in Latin America and the one on internet use.
Where Latin America's AI computing capacity is
The most striking finding of ILIA 2026 is how concentrated computing is. Brazil has 87.7% of the GPUs identified in the region and 92% of its processing capacity. The five comparison countries have on average 244.7 GPUs per million people, about 29 times more than Latin America and the Caribbean (8.5), according to the index website. Chile has 18 per million, above the regional average but far below Brazil (71.4) and Ecuador (39.8), according to La Tercera.
The report proposes sharing infrastructure between countries, because few can afford on their own the computing centers needed to train models. Working in the region's favor are clean energy, where Paraguay, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia beat Portugal, and certified data centers: 0.92 per million people, versus 0.73 in the comparison group. In Chile, the recent opening of the Amazon Web Services region points in that direction.
How many companies use artificial intelligence in the region
The smaller the company, the less it uses AI. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 27.6% of large companies use it, 12.8% of medium-sized ones and 6.8% of small ones; in the five comparison countries, the figures are 66%, 41% and 24%. Among individuals, 16.1% of people aged 15 to 64 actively use generative AI, according to the CENIA press release.
| Large | 27.6% | 66% |
| Medium | 12.8% | 41% |
| Small | 6.8% | 24% |
In education, AI is advancing: 11 of the 20 countries already include it in the school curriculum, versus 2 in 2024; all 20 have related master's programs and 14 offer doctorates. In governance, 85% have a national strategy in force or being drafted, but only Brazil and Colombia assign it an explicit budget. Women make up 24.8% of AI researchers in the region. In Chile, the bill regulating AI systems is still in the Senate; data rules are also changing with the personal data law.
"The ILIA is no longer a need but an urgency," said Álvaro Soto, director of CENIA, at the presentation. Pablo Barceló, the center's lead researcher, proposed that "the AI match be played as a team," because the region's capabilities are spread across several countries.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ILIA?
It is the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index, produced by Chile's National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) and ECLAC. It measures AI readiness, development and governance in 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Which country leads artificial intelligence in Latin America?
Chile, with 71.4 points in ILIA 2026, followed by Brazil (68.4) and Uruguay (67.0).
Where did Mexico, Argentina and Peru rank?
Argentina is sixth (55.6), Peru seventh (52.7) and Mexico eighth (52.0), all in the adopters group.
What is Chile's main weakness?
Computing capacity (2.1% of the region's GPUs), low AI adoption by companies (13.5%) and the lack of a budget for its national AI strategy.
