Colombian Startups Lead the Country in AI Adoption

Colombian startups are leading the charge in AI adoption, according to a new study. The share of AI-using startups has risen from 42% to 52% in the past year, and 29% have reached an advanced stage. Other businesses, however, lag behind: only 10% of small and medium-sized enterprises and 9% of large companies have reached the advanced stage.

The study surveyed 1,000 business leaders and 1,000 citizens. Colombian startups have an advantage because they lack legacy systems and have more freedom to experiment. They report shorter innovation times, higher productivity, revenue growth, and a positive return on investment. The gap between startups and other companies is due to several factors, including a shortage of trained staff, difficulty attracting workers with digital skills, and a lack of access to developers.

Measuring success is also a challenge, with many companies lacking a reliable way to calculate the return on their AI investments. Despite these obstacles, Colombia's startups have taken the lead in AI adoption, and turning this rapid experimentation into lasting products and building skilled teams will be key to sustaining progress.