World Bank supports open source AI in Latin America to boost productivity

The World Bank estimates that the use of open source artificial intelligence could help reduce the productivity gap in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as boost regional economic development.

The organization proposes that, instead of funding the development of massive AI models from scratch, countries prioritize “the adoption of open-source technologies and their integration into existing production structures.”

This is reflected in the latest edition of its Economic Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean report, which emphasizes that “the region’s fundamental constraint is not a lack of primary innovation, but rather the limited absorptive capacity of businesses, governments, and citizens.”

This could be addressed by avoiding the creation of proprietary AI models and instead opting to “adapt open-source solutions to local needs and languages, while governments assume the role of ‘anchor clients’ in public technologies (GovTech).”

The World Bank also proposes the implementation of technology extension services aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These plans include technical assistance with matching grants to guide management in reorganizing workflows and operationally integrating AI.

Regarding the labor sector, the multilateral institution recommends in its report “abandoning generic training programs and replacing them with targeted interventions according to the level of workers’ exposure to automation,” opting for more technical career paths and short-cycle training programs.

The organization urged public administrations to use a portion of the productivity gains generated by the adoption of AI to “expand the funding base for social protection and active employment policies, ensuring an equitable transition for the displaced workforce.”

M.Pino

Source: finanzasdigital

(Reference image source: Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash)

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