Ramon Roche, GM of Dronecode Foundation, shares his perspective on the role of AI in Latin America against the backdrop of LF Research's recent study.

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Latin America's AI market is growing at 28.1% annually, valued at $12.7 billion, with open source AI emerging as a strategic advantage due to costs 5-7x lower than proprietary alternatives. Mexico leads with 83% of companies reporting positive ROI and 65% using open source AI. The region shows higher trust and readiness for AI adoption (85% vs 62% globally) but still underperforms relative to economic weight. Success stories include Speedbird Aero (drone delivery), Kilimo (agricultural optimization), and Rappi (unicorn super-app). Key barriers remain: 55% cite skills gaps, plus infrastructure and compute investment needs. The opportunity lies in moving from AI adoption to co-creation through open source foundations, local adaptation, and workforce upskilling.

Latin America’s AI Opportunity: From Adoption to Co-Creation Through Open Source

Business value is already being realized, especially in Mexico