In 2026, Colombian companies will face the challenge of structurally integrating artificial intelligence, moving from experimentation to an essential tool for competitiveness. Colombia ranks fourth in the 2025 Latin American AI Index, behind Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay, highlighting the need to consolidate its adoption. Experts warn that without this integration, gaps in productivity and costs will emerge.
Artificial intelligence has evolved from a futuristic promise to a daily tool in the operations of companies in Colombia. According to the 2025 Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA), the country ranks fourth in the region, just behind Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay. This progress indicates that the current challenge is not initial adoption, but its effective scalability for 2026, a year that will define companies that have integrally incorporated AI against those that have not done so in time. During 2024 and 2025, significant cultural and operational changes were observed, with AI applied in the automation of administrative tasks, improvement in customer service, accelerated data analysis, and support for information-based decisions. Jorge Quintero, Head of Digital Factory at SONDA, emphasizes: “AI will no longer be a competitive differentiator; it will be a basic business capability. Companies that do not integrate it structurally will begin to feel a significant gap in productivity, costs, and customer experience.” He adds that “it's not just about efficiency. AI is changing the way we work: more agile, informed organizations with greater scalability capacity.” For the coming year, Quintero identifies five key advances: the application of generative AI in real processes, intelligent automation of complete workflows, data governance and quality as a foundation for value, security and privacy in regulatory compliance, and industry-specific specialized models for precise results. Currently, virtual assistants, predictive analysis, and internal copilots are implemented, although autonomous agents for critical decisions are still maturing, especially in regulated sectors. A “second wave” of AI will bring more focused models, benefiting banking with personalized risk management, retail with efficient operations, and government with simplified procedures. However, challenges persist, such as viewing AI as a magic solution, privacy fears, lack of clear strategies, and underestimating cultural change. Before starting projects, leaders must assess the specific problem, available data, value measurement, risks, and responsibilities. In the medium term, AI will become an operational standard; in the long term, it will drive specialized models, greater regulation, and data-based competition. Quintero concludes: “AI will be a key infrastructure for the country's business and social development.”
