AI Threatens to Widen Latin America’s Digital Divide

Lawmakers in Costa Rica writing a bill with ChatGPT. A judge in Colombia using the same tool to ask for advice in a case before him. A news anchor developed by artificial intelligence giving live reports in Mexico. As in the rest of the world, both the wonders and absurdities of AI are increasingly visible in Latin America. The difference is that the region is among the world’s most unequal when it comes to not only income but also technology. The question for both corporations and regulators is how to use the rise of AI to narrow that divide. While smartphone adoption in the region is only slightly lower than in richer countries, about 40% of Latin American homes still don’t have fixed broadband, according to a 2022 study, limiting the availability of Internet connections needed to study, work or do online transactions. The digital divide is especially stark between urban and rural areas — and while the disparity is longstanding, the worry is that the explosive irruption of AI will quickly widen it. The challenge is how to design public policies to address the rise of AI in poor nations often beset with unstable political leadership. The region needs to foster more widespread and inclusive digital adoption, says Luis Adrián Salazar, an international consultant and the former minister of science, technology, and telecommunication for Costa Rica. He proposes special funds, created by governments, to finance retraining for jobs that will be affected by AI. He also suggests a summit meeting of heads of state to discuss a unified approach to AI.

[Juan Pablo Spinetto is a Bloomberg News managing editor for economics and government in Latin America.]