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In 2022, 16.9% (1,620) of the 9,586Brazilian industrial companies with 100 or more employees usedartificial intelligence in their operations[1]
Among the companies that used AI, the areas of administration (73.8%), productproject development (65.9%), processes, services andmarketing (65.1%) were those that used it the most, followed by the areas ofproduction (56.4%) andlogistics (48.4%).[1]
In senior management, the majority (56%) of executives have a long-term vision for its use. The study also shows thatIT,Innovation, andMarketing are the areas whereAI use is most widespread, and that 43% of companies are developing or adapting the algorithms they use.[2]
The majority of large institutions that reported some type of AI use purchased these solutions from other companies (76%).[3]
Some factors for the adoption of artificial intelligence in companies include the establishment of an autonomous strategy by the company (87.0%), and the influence ofsuppliers and/or customers (63.0%) and the main difficulties in using technologies were high costs (80.8%), lack of qualified personnel in the company (54.6%) and excessive economic risks (49.5%).[1]
Three variables are considered the most relevant to explain the option to use AI: the implementation of adigital security policy, the size of companies with 250 or more employees and the characteristics of the company related to information and communication.[4]
When analyzing AI use by company size inBrazil, large companies have the highest proportion of AI use, mainly due to their investment capacity and technology experimentation. However, when comparing Brazil andEurope, indicators show an acceleration in AI use among large European companies, while in Brazil the situation remains stable. In 2023, 30% of large companies in theEuropean bloc used some type of AI, a figure that rose to 41% in 2024, while in Brazil these proportions were 41% in 2023 and 38% in 2024.[5]
The challenge of upskilling begins with employees who are capable of understanding recent technological changes. Similarly, companies must create the environment and conditions for workforce development conducive to innovation, and universities must be prepared to provide knowledge aligned with the transition process, which in turn must be supported by public policies.[6]
The concern with training a specialized workforce in AI can be seen in the low number of graduates andPhDs in computer science and computer engineering in Brazil, compared to the number shown in other countries.[7]
As recorded in the document Recommendations for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence in Brazil, 2019 data from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) indicate that "the number of PhDs graduated annually in computing remained below 400 in 2016, and is not expected to have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic" (ABC, 2023). In the United States, by contrast, the number of PhDs graduated in these two areas has remained around 1,800 for the past 11 years, and during this period, the number of PhDs specializing in AI jumped from 10% to 19%.[7]
Based on data from theCNPq Lattes Platform (October 2019), it is possible to observe that the number of professionals in the AI field in Brazil is 4,429 specialists. This is still a small number compared to the 415,166 IT jobs in the country's business sector alone.[8]
China and theUnited States lead in the number of publications. These two countries are followed by theG7 members:India,Austria,South Korea, andSpain. Brazil appears in the next group, alongside theNetherlands,Russia,Indonesia, andIreland.[9]
Regarding the promotion of research and technologies related to AI, public entities such as the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) stood out as the main funders.[4]
Currently, different countries and territories have been promoting the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the Brazilian case, one of the main initiatives is the creation of Engineering Research Centers/Applied Research Centers (CPE/CPA) in AI by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), the Ministry of Communications (MC) and the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).[7]
In terms of the number of patents filed and the volume of investments, the leading nations in AI are the United States, China,France,Germany, theUnited Kingdom,Russia,India,Switzerland,Japan,South Korea, theNetherlands,Sweden,Finland,Ireland,Singapore,Canada,Israel, andItaly. Brazil appears among the top twenty countries in some rankings, mainly due to its good number of publications (approximately 10% of the number of articles published by the United States).[10]
The US is home to approximately 60% of the world's top AI researchers, followed by China (11%), Europe (10%), and Canada (6%).[10]
To change this scenario, in August 2024, the Brazilian government announced an investment of R$23 billion until 2028 in artificial intelligence, seeking to “transform the country into a global reference in innovation”.[3]
TheOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2020) report highlighted three factors that hinder the digital transformation journey and application of AI in Brazil: insufficient infrastructure, high costs due to the tax system, and financial limitations, such as limited access to financing.[11]
The costs of adopting technology, its incompatibility with the business, and the lack oftraining also represent obstacles that Brazilian industry must overcome.[3]
There are also inherent obstacles for companies. AMcKinsey review emphasizes that once a company chooses one or more sectors to focus on, it must select specific applications. Buyers aren't interested in artificial intelligence simply because it's a breakthroughtechnology; they want AI to generate a goodreturn on investment, whether by solving specific problems, saving money, or increasingsales. If an AI vendor tried to offer a horizontal solution, the value proposition might not be as compelling.[12]
Part of the solution to Brazil's technological backwardness involves building anecosystem fueled by private institutions,universities, andgovernments.[3]