Artificial intelligence is increasingly being seen as a potential driver of economic growth in Latin America, with many governments in the region prioritizing investments in AI and related technologies to help modernize their economies and stay competitive in global markets, while debates around the ethical and political implications of AI continue to shape the discourse around its adoption.

In the U.S. and Europe, the rapid emergence of AI applications like ChatGPT has catalyzed a debate over their implications for the future of work. These concerns are far lower down on Latin America’s agenda. But in a region of stark economic inequality, AI threatens to exacerbate that divide and the political tensions that come with it.