Latin America Intelligent Age

Latin American and global leader scores in AI competitiveness sub-dimension: operating modelFIGURE 10 Senior leaders have communicated how AI will result in new ways of working throughout the organization Fosters trust and builds customer confidence in its use of AI solutions Effectively establishes, tracks and communicates value from AI Integrates AI solutions into business processes Ability to scale AI within organization Latin American organizations not generating impact from AI/uni00A0 Latin American average Distance between Latin American average and global leaders Distance between Latin American organizations generating impact and those who are not Latin American organizations generating impact from AI Global leaders1 27 16 20 20 40 26 27 24 25 22 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Note: 1. Top quintile of McKinsey Global AI Competitiveness Assessment Survey, excluding Latin America Source: Latin America in the Intelligent Age - AI capabilities survey, August - October 2025, n=129; McKinsey AI Quotient Survey, 2017-2025, including 750+ companies globally Ignite an AI-powered industrial revolution By focusing strategically on sectors where it is globally successful, Latin America can create a sustainable competitive advantage. Agriculture, mining, energy and tourism are important contributors to the regional economy, with their respective shares of Latin America’s GDP all above the equivalent sector’s average global GDP .35 The region’s agriculture and mining sectors particularly stand out, with GDP shares that are double their corresponding global average.36 Some companies in these sectors are demonstrating innovative AI use cases, suggesting the region can convert its strengths into lasting competitive advantage. Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil are employing drones with computer vision for field scouting and targeted spraying in agriculture. Brazil’s agribusiness giants use AI analytics to monitor soil health and predict yields at scale, boosting productivity in one of the region’s leading export industries. Chile applies AI to mining, the country’s most strategic sector, to improve mineral analysis and strengthen worker safety. These are not the only sectors with leading examples in AI: as an industry that has often been at the forefront of digital innovation, banks in the region are building multi-model platforms, such as a unified AI platform that combines internal systems with multiple external models while ensuring governance and security. Mexico has integrated AI into national Industry 4.0 programmes, connecting research with factory operations focused on predictive maintenance, quality control and supply chain optimization, among other elements. Even though still mostly isolated cases, these examples highlight AI usage in sectors that are central to national economies and demonstrate that the biggest gains can come from transforming core processes. Within the public sector, Mexico’s national digital strategy proposes legislation to cut waiting times by 50% and digitize 80% of citizen-facing procedures.37 In Colombia and the Dominican Republic, AI chatbots on citizen-service portals handle routine requests, freeing officials for more complex cases. Some Caribbean governments integrate AI into disaster-management systems that predict hurricane Latin America in the Intelligent Age: A New Path for Growth 19