AI in Latin America’s Payments and E-Commerce: Growth, Innovation, and Structural Challenges 2025
Description
yStats.com reports that AI adoption in Latin America’s payments and E-Commerce markets accelerates in leading fintech hubs, while structural barriers, talent gaps, and uneven governance limit scalable impact across the region
Fintech strength fuels AI adoption, though smaller markets lag behind
Latin America’s AI adoption is driven by fintech-led innovation in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. The number of fintech firms rose more than 300% between 2017 and 2023, establishing the region as a leading growth hub. Yet smaller markets face barriers such as high implementation costs, limited resources, and a shortage of AI talent, with over 40% of organizations citing lack of expertise as a major obstacle.
Workforce and funding constraints slow regional scaling
Enterprises are adopting AI faster, but scaling remains constrained by workforce gaps. About 60% of organizations identify AI training as a priority, and 50% cite limited access to venture capital. Despite these gaps, Generative AI is becoming mainstream, particularly in Brazil and Mexico, where most firms are investing in employee upskilling and internal AI programs.
Policy alignment improves, but regional consistency is limited
Countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are advancing AI governance through frameworks that prioritize transparency and accountability in high-risk systems. Public support for regulation now exceeds 50%, and innovation sandboxes are encouraging experimentation. Nonetheless, uneven policy enforcement continues to restrict the creation of a unified regional AI ecosystem.
Fintech strength fuels AI adoption, though smaller markets lag behind
Latin America’s AI adoption is driven by fintech-led innovation in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. The number of fintech firms rose more than 300% between 2017 and 2023, establishing the region as a leading growth hub. Yet smaller markets face barriers such as high implementation costs, limited resources, and a shortage of AI talent, with over 40% of organizations citing lack of expertise as a major obstacle.
Workforce and funding constraints slow regional scaling
Enterprises are adopting AI faster, but scaling remains constrained by workforce gaps. About 60% of organizations identify AI training as a priority, and 50% cite limited access to venture capital. Despite these gaps, Generative AI is becoming mainstream, particularly in Brazil and Mexico, where most firms are investing in employee upskilling and internal AI programs.
Policy alignment improves, but regional consistency is limited
Countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are advancing AI governance through frameworks that prioritize transparency and accountability in high-risk systems. Public support for regulation now exceeds 50%, and innovation sandboxes are encouraging experimentation. Nonetheless, uneven policy enforcement continues to restrict the creation of a unified regional AI ecosystem.
Table of Contents
145 Pages
- 1. Key Takeaways
- 2. Management Summary
- 3. AI Adoption Landscape & Regional Patterns
- 3.1. Latin America: Adoption Benchmarks
- 3.1.1. Regional
- Latin America & Global: AI Adoption by Enterprise Use Cases, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Latin America & Global: Perceived Business Impact of Generative AI, in % of Companies, 2023 & 2024
- Latin America & Global: AI Delivery Team Implementation, in % of Companies, 2023 & 2024
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Job Categories by Exposure to GenAI, in % of Respondents, April 2025
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Job Categories by Productivity Potential from GenAI, in % of Resp., Apr 2025
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Job Categories by Automation Risk from GenAI, in % of Resp., April 2025
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Workforce Distribution by GenAI Exposure, in % of Resp., April 2025
- Latin America: Share of Organizations Using AI Tools Across Business Functions, in % of Resp., 2024
- Latin America: Perceived Impact of AI Tools Across Business Functions, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Latin America: Adoption of AI-Based Business Solutions, in % of Companies, Jan 2025
- Latin America: Stage of AI Adoption in Organizations, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Approaches to AI Capability Development, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Share of Latitud Fellowship Companies Identifying as AI-centric or AI-enabled, in % of Resp., 2022-2023 & H1 2024
- Latin America: Founders’ Views on AI Transformative Force for Business and Society, in % of Resp., 2024
- Latin America: Founders’ Expectations of AI Impact on Cost Reduction and Revenue Growth, in % of Resp., 2024
- Latin America: Founders’ Perceptions of AI Market Expectations, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Latin America: Founders’ Views on AI Hype and Investor Overexpectations, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Latin America: Generative AI Adoption in Tech Companies, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Latin America: Adoption of AI Frameworks by Provider, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Number of AI Frameworks Adopted, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Expected Impact of AI on Workforce, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Main Drivers of AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Latin America: Main Drivers of Excitement About AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Good Understanding of AI by Country, in % of Respondents, Aug-Sep 2024
- Latin America: Use of AI Tools in Daily Life by Country, in % of Respondents, Aug-Sep 2024
- 3.1.2. Country Spotlights
- Brazil: Population Familiarity with AI, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Brazil: Corporate Perceptions of AI for Automation and Efficiency, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: Corporate Perceptions of AI for Automation and Efficiency, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: Corporate Perceptions of AI for Automation and Efficiency, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: Corporate Perceptions of AI for Automation and Efficiency, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: Corporate Perceptions of AI for Automation and Efficiency, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Brazil: Corporate Expectations of AI’s Impact on Industry, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: Corporate Expectations of AI’s Impact on Industry, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: Corporate Expectations of AI’s Impact on Industry, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: Corporate Expectations of AI’s Impact on Industry, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: Corporate Expectations of AI’s Impact on Industry, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Brazil: Expected Timeline of Results from AI Strategies, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: Expected Timeline of Results from AI Strategies, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: Expected Timeline of Results from AI Strategies, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: Expected Timeline of Results from AI Strategies, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: Expected Timeline of Results from AI Strategies, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Brazil: AI Investment Plans, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: AI Investment Plans, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: AI Investment Plans, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: AI Investment Plans, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: AI Investment Plans, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- 3.2. Seller Segmentation & Barriers
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Infrastructure, Computing, Server, and Data Ecosystem Gaps for AI Adoption, Aug 2025
- Latin America & The Caribbean: AI Talent Shortages, Education Pipeline Weaknesses, and Firm-Level Adoption Gaps, Aug 2025
- Latin America: AI Opportunity in Service Exports, Investment Gap, Export Lag, and Skills Gap, Aug 2025
- Latin America: Main Challenges to AI Implementation, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Latin America: Main Obstacles to AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Latin America: Leading Barriers to AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Barriers to AI Exploration, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Key Areas of Support Needed for AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- 4. Functional Use Cases & Economic Impact
- 4.1. E-Commerce Seller Operations
- Latin America: Productivity Gains from AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Benefits of AI Adoption, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Latin America: Business Functions of AI Implementation, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Latin America: Use of AI Technologies in Daily Operations, in % of Respondents, 2025
- 4.2. Payments & FinTech Use Cases
- Latin America: FinTech Sector Growth as a Foundation for AI-Enabled Payments, in Number of Comp., 2017 & 2023
- Latin America: FinTech Concentration and AI Readiness Potential by Country, in % of Total Fintech Comp., 2024
- Latin America: Count. with the Highest Growth in Fintech Startups and AI Innovation Potential, in % of Comp., 2022-2024
- Latin America: Blockchain Tokenization, AI Monitoring, and Customer-Centric Banking Innovations, Sep 2025
- 5. Risk Management, Trust & Security
- 5.1. Fraud & Threat Trends
- Latin America & Mexico: Cybercrime Attempts and AI Professional Shortages in Millions, Oct 2024
- Latin America: Fraud Challenges, Costs, AI Detection Tools, and Partnerships in Digital Payments, Sep 2025
- Latin America: Biggest Risks to AI Deployment in Startups, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: AI and Intensified Inequality by Country, in % of Respondents, Aug–Sep 2024
- 5.2. Trust & Readiness
- Brazil: Comfort Levels in Sharing Personal Data with AI Tools, in % of Respondents, 2024
- Brazil: Public Readiness for Data Sharing with AI and Traditional Inst., in % of Resp. Comfortable Sharing Data, 2024
- Brazil: Planned AI Training Investments for Teams, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: Planned AI Training Investments for Teams, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: Planned AI Training Investments for Teams, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: Planned AI Training Investments for Teams, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: Planned AI Training Investments for Teams, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Brazil: Workforce with AI Hiring Focus, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: Workforce with AI Hiring Focus, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: Workforce with AI Hiring Focus, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: Workforce with AI Hiring Focus, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: Workforce with AI Hiring Focus, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Brazil: Importance of Sustainability in Implementing AI Solutions, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Mexico: Importance of Sustainability in Implementing AI Solutions, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Colombia: Importance of Sustainability in Implementing AI Solutions, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Chile: Importance of Sustainability in Implementing AI Solutions, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- Argentina: Importance of Sustainability in Implementing AI Solutions, in % of Respondents, Jan 2025
- 5.3. Regulation & Compliance
- Latin America: Support for Government Regulation of AI by Country, in % of Respondents, Aug–Sep 2024
- Latin America: AI Bills with Principle-Based Rights, Risk Classification, and Compliance Obligations, Sep 2025
- Latin America: AI Proposals with Governance Councils, Regulatory Sandboxes, and SME Support, Sep 2025
- Latin America: Regulatory Gaps, Local Frameworks, Regional Coordination, and AI Governance, Sep 2025
- Latin America: Regulatory Progress, Governance, Institutional Gaps, and Regional Cooperation in AI, Sep 2025
- 6. Competitive Landscape & Strategic AI Movement
- 6.1. Market Scale & Activity
- Latin America: AI Adoption by Approach in Startups, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: AI Adoption Levels and Revenue Contribution from AI-Powered Products, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Share of AI Leaders’ Revenues Attributable to AI-Powered Products, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Median Revenue Growth of AI and Non-AI Companies Across Income Bands, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Top-Quartile Revenue Growth of AI and Non-AI Companies Across Income Bands, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Funding Status of Startups and AI Share of Funded Firms, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: AI Adoption Across Application Areas Among Startups, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Number of AI Use Cases Implemented Per Startup, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Areas of AI Use in Startup Operations, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Use of AI Models in Startups, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Share of Startups Measuring ROI on AI Investments, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Metrics of ROI on AI Investments Among Startups, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: AI ROI Measurement Metrics, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Ownership of AI Leadership Roles in Startups, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: AI/ML Cloud Workload Distribution by Provider, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: Number of Cloud Providers Used for AI/ML Workloads, in % of Respondents, Mar-Apr 2025
- Latin America: LLM Adoption by Provider and Number of Models Deployed, in % of Resp., Mar-Apr 2025
- 6.2. Venture Capital Strategies & AI Integration Trends
- Latin America: VC Investment Likelihood for AI-Core Startups, in % of Respondents, 2024 & 2025
- Latin America: Barriers to VC Support for Portfolio AI Deployment, in % of Respondents, 2025
- Latin America: Internal AI Use Cases Among VC Firms, in % of Respondents, 2023 & 2025
- Latin America: Internal AI Application Usage by VC Firms, in % of Respondents, 2025
- 7. AI Governance, Regulation & Innovation Enablers
- 7.1. AI Innovation Frameworks
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Absorptive Capacity, Readiness Gaps, and Global Positioning in AI Adoption, Aug 2025
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Opportunities and Risks of AI Adoption for Economic, Social, and Technological Development, Aug 2025
- Latin America & The Caribbean: Responsible AI Initiatives, Policy Challenges, Regulatory Needs, and Data Governance Gaps, Aug 2025
- Latin America: Perceived Country Preparedness to Face AI Challenges, in % of Respondents, Aug-Sep 2024
- South America: Average Government AI Readiness in Data and Infrastructure, in Index Value, 2023 & 2024
- Brazil: Government AI Readiness in Data and Infrastructure, in Index Value, 2023 & 2024
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