FEATURE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE measures and national programs such as the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Program( PBIA) reflect an increasing institutional focus on the technology.
“ Brazil has enormous potential to stand out on the global AI stage,” says Pedro Brasileiro, Senior Manager of Government Relations at Salesforce in Brazil. He highlights the country’ s regulatory alignment and emphasises the role of coordinated action across sectors.
“ Strategic investments in technological education, incentives for innovation, and public policies that foster the responsible adoption of AI can transform the country into a hub of excellence,” Brasileiro said. He underscores the importance of expanding digital infrastructure and attracting investment to ensure that AI-driven growth is inclusive.
Salesforce itself has engaged in local capacity-building initiatives. In partnership with the states of Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, the company is supporting free training programs aimed at preparing thousands of people to develop and work with AI agents. These efforts tie directly to the study’ s emphasis on strengthening human capital as a prerequisite for scaling AI adoption nationwide.
National strategies and sectoral opportunities
Brazil’ s recent policy efforts are also aligned with emerging AI frontiers. The Brazilian AI Strategy( 2021) and the PBIA 2024 – 2028 give particular focus to generative AI, autonomous AI agents, ethics and sectoral applications in areas such as logistics, health, agriculture, transport and government services.
These priorities reflect broader economic opportunities. AI-driven logistics optimisation could significantly reduce operational costs in Brazil’ s complex transportation networks. In agriculture, where Brazil is already a global powerhouse, AI agents could help predict weather impacts, enhance supply-chain traceability and optimise commodity yields. Publicsector applications – from judicial automation to citizen-service chatbots – also offer major potential to reduce bottlenecks and improve service delivery.
How the AI Readiness Index was built
The Global AI Readiness Index evaluates countries where Salesforce operates, covering a diverse set of economies including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and the US, as well as the three Latin American markets.
Data for the index – drawn primarily from 2023 onward – comes from international organisations such as the UN, OECD, WIPO, WEF, IPSOS and CB Insights. Indicators were selected for their transparency, relevance and comparability, ensuring that results reflect objective conditions that shape AI adoption globally.
Importantly, Brazil has an advantage few global AI competitors can claim: a large reserve of clean and affordable energy which is increasingly attractive to data-centre operators. As interest grows in sustainable and geographically diversified data-centre infrastructure, the report notes that Brazil’ s energy matrix could be a strategic asset for expanding AI research and development capacity.
AI readiness in a global race
While Brazil’ s ranking near the bottom of the global list may seem discouraging, Salesforce emphasises that AI readiness must be seen in relative terms. Even the most advanced markets – Singapore, the US and the UK – show uneven progress across the five dimensions. Emerging markets face additional hurdles including limited capital and infrastructure constraints which makes Brazil’ s leadership position in Latin America particularly notable.
The country’ s next challenge is scaling what already works while unlocking the investment and innovation needed to compete more effectively on the global stage. With AI agents set to redefine how both governments and companies operate, readiness is no longer a long-term planning exercise – it is an immediate economic imperative. p www. intelligentcio. com INTELLIGENTCIO LATAM 27