The demand for artificial intelligence isn't set to slow down any time soon. Industries and government bodies worldwide continuing to invest in the evolving technology, and while Asia and Europe are currently leading in the adaptation of AI, a recent study estimates that 50% of Latin America will adopt the technology by 2029, representing a 30% increase in the next five years.
One of the largest investments is set to come from the Brazilian government, which announced earlier this year a $4 billion AI plan to create systems for various industries across the country. The goal is to generate internal opportunities and limit the reliance on future AI tools created by other countries.
"Instead of waiting for AI to come from China, the U.S., South Korea, Japan, why not have our own?" Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated when the proposed investment plan was presented in July.
However, according to the 2024 Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index, Chile is recognized as LATAM's regional AI leader at the moment. The country scored consistently high in categories that include investment in technological infrastructure, training programs and supportive policies. The study also highlights that even though AI talent has doubled in the region over the past eight years, the region continues to trail behind countries from the Global North.
As Latin American governments take larger steps to incorporate AI as part of a larger digital economic transformation, they'll need skilled experts to navigate the complexities of AI. AI is predicted to create up to 55 million jobs by 2030, but the need to fill roles exists today, with many industry leaders confirming the struggle to find skilled hires.
According to Buzz Walker, Chief Revenue Officer at online proctoring and certification company Kryterion, AI shouldn't be used as a blanket term for career development and the hiring process in Latin America.
"If you think about AI, we tend to just talk about it as one thing, but it's not one thing. It's multiple technologies applied to many industries, so the need for specialization and certifying capabilities is out there," Walker told The Latin Times.
Academic institutions worldwide increasingly recognize the need to provide these specialties surrounding AI, including the University of Buenos Aires and the National University of La Plata, located in Argentina. Both of these institutions have created research centers specializing in providing a mixture of data science and AI-related programs geared toward creating the skilled AI workforce of the future.
Colombia is also making strides in this evolving tech landscape, announcing an Artificial Intelligence Faculty at the University of Caldas, the first in Latin America.
The faculty is set to open its doors in 2025, offering a range of programs from undergraduate to Master's degree in AI, thanks to a roughly $17 million government investment.
"This is not just another faculty; it's a revolution," said President Gustavo Petro earlier this year, highlighting the significant value the government sees in investing in educational resources and programs that are shaping the evolving technology and the workforce that guides it.
A core skill component for AI companies globally is machine learning (ML), which is considered valuable for its ability to extract valuable business insights from large datasets. In August, BBVA launched an "AI Factory" in Mexico, and among its new hires were data scientists and machine learning engineers.
"The demand for those types of skill sets is getting bigger and bigger," Matan Libis, VP of product at advanced data processing company SQream, told The Latin Times. "I wish I were a student during this time. It would be awesome."
The VP also added that globally, the skills gap is closing between data engineers and scientists. "Now we have the data engineers creating the data, and the scientists are creating the models," said Libis. "You're going to be able to use Python to do that engineering, and you're going to be able to use FQL to train your models." Last year, data science-related roles were some of the most sought-after for companies to fill, with markets like Brazil and Mexico leading the region, according to Forbes.
Outside of universities and technology accelerators, online options are cropping up for Latino engineers to certify themselves in AI and ML. US-based Kryterion recently partnered with Probabl to provide formal certifications in machine learning from the popular open-source Scikit-learn machine learning library for the Python programming language.
Another is Platzi, an online education platform that offers a range of courses designed for Spanish speakers, including ML basics, deep learning fundamentals, and even a deeper understanding of ChatGPT. Many of the courses available are free and engaging, arguably contributing to the platform's growing popularity throughout the region.
Understanding the growing need for flexible online courses that are accessible to all, the Tecnológico de Monterrey university offers a Master's in Applied AI and a specialization in AI, focusing on areas like data science, intelligent software, and autonomous mobility. Both programs are tailored to industry needs and are available online or in blended formats.
Filling the demand for AI-related jobs in Latin America is an uphill battle, considering the demand worldwide is steep. But as governments like Brazil and Colombia continue to support initiatives aimed at upskilling the workforce, and as Latino founders broaden their perspectives online through different AI and ML training tools, the region can make progress to close the AI skills gap.
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