By: Staff Writer
February 12, 2026
The Inter-American Development Bank in a recent study on Artificial Intelligence (AI) said that Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries should design frameworks that would help with the facilitation of AI.
The study, “An Enabling Regulatory Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Latin America and the Caribbean,” also said: “AI regulation is not an obstacle to innovation, rather it is innovation’s foundation. By providing clarity, trust, and predictability, well-designed regulation creates the conditions for responsible adoption and sustainable growth.
“The challenge for LAC countries is to design frameworks that are enabling rather than constraining, proportionate to institutional capacity, and regionally coherent without being uniform.”
The study also said: “The LAC region can learn from global experiences while developing approaches suited to its own context—high inequality, limited institutional capacity, large informal sectors, but also growing digital expertise and strong regional integration mechanisms. Rather than simply importing models designed elsewhere, the region can contribute to the global conversation on AI governance by demonstrating how emerging economies can balance innovation, rights, and sovereignty
“Fragmented data ecosystems and weak interoperability are not minor administrative issues in the LAC region. They are binding constraints on the region’s ability to develop AI responsibly, deliver effective digital services, and participate in cross-border data flows.
Closing these gaps is a precondition for any enabling regulatory framework, requiring countries to designate or strengthen a credible coordinating authority, establish and maintain comprehensive data inventories, and progressively expand interoperability across priority registries. Regional cooperation, supported by platforms can accelerate progress and prevent duplication.
The IDB’s role is to help governments build these foundations pragmatically, ensuring that AI governance in the region rests on solid and trusted data institutions.