By. Natalia Iregui, Director of Public Policy for Latin America at AWS
At the intersection of advanced technology and economic development, Colombia is laying the groundwork to strategically position itself in the age of artificial intelligence. As companies of all sizes and sectors explore the transformative potential of generative AI, having a regulatory framework that seeks to balance innovation with responsibility is imperative. A forward-looking approach represents a significant opportunity to accelerate the digitalization of the economy and enhance the country’s competitiveness in a global context increasingly defined by technological capabilities.
Public Policies Driving Responsible Innovation
Colombia’s national AI policy, developed through two CONPES documents with broad consultation across multiple sectors, establishes clear guidelines for the responsible use of these technologies without imposing unnecessary barriers to their adoption. This balance is essential to enable Colombian organizations to experiment, innovate, and develop AI-based solutions that address local needs and contribute to economic growth.
Colombia has adopted a balanced approach to AI, aligned with international standards such as OECD and UNESCO recommendations. This framework is built on key ethical principles including transparency, human oversight, fairness, and accountability in the development and use of AI systems. The country recognizes that excessive regulation could hinder innovation and technological development, and has therefore prioritized a flexible governance model that adapts to the rapid evolution of these technologies while protecting fundamental rights and promoting responsible adoption in both the public and private sectors.
The Cloud: Key Infrastructure for AI Democratization
Artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, requires computing and storage capabilities that far exceed the resources available to most organizations. This is where the cloud emerges as the enabler that democratizes access to these transformative technologies.
The cloud market in Colombia has grown rapidly, with a clear inflection point during the pandemic, when digital transformation shifted from a future aspiration to an immediate priority. According to IDC, this market reached USD $1.826 billion in 2023, with projected annual growth of 20.3% through 2028—a reflection of its growing strategic relevance.
Cloud infrastructure provides the ideal ecosystem for the development and implementation of AI solutions for several reasons. First, it democratizes access by eliminating entry barriers that traditionally limited advanced technologies to large corporations. Second, it offers flexible scalability, allowing resources to be adjusted to the varying processing needs of AI projects. Third, it provides levels of security and compliance that would be impossible for most individual organizations to achieve. Finally, the continuous pace of cloud innovation ensures constant access to new capabilities without significant reinvestment.
Real Transformation Across Key Sectors
The impact of combining a favorable regulatory framework with cloud adoption as the platform for AI is already visible across multiple sectors of the Colombian economy.
In the financial sector, Banco de Occidente, working with AWS, developed ARI, a generative AI virtual assistant that has raised the quality compliance rate for customer queries, complaints, and claims (PQRs) to 95%—a 17.3x efficiency improvement compared to its previous process.
In the public sector, entities such as the Cali Mayor’s Office have adopted cloud-based solutions to transform citizen services, improving operational efficiency while reducing costs. This modernization enables faster responses to citizen needs and more transparent management of public resources.
Companies such as Bancolombia, Mercado Libre, Rappi, Arturo Calle, Olímpica, Itaú, and Grupo Aval are leveraging the cloud and AI to personalize customer experiences, optimize supply chains, and develop new sales channels, adapting quickly to a constantly evolving environment.
Security and Responsibility as Core Pillars
Our approach to AI is structured in three complementary layers: high-performance infrastructure optimized for AI workloads, a broad selection of foundation models, and practical applications that can be deployed directly to address specific needs. This complete ecosystem is designed to enable organizations of all sizes to leverage AI’s potential safely and responsibly.
However, responsible adoption of AI requires a holistic focus on security, privacy, and ethics. AWS has led the way, becoming the first major cloud provider to achieve ISO 42001 certification for AI management systems, demonstrating a tangible commitment to the responsible development of these technologies.
Cloud security operates under a shared responsibility model in which AWS is responsible for securing the cloud, while customers are responsible for securing the data they host in it. This combination ensures that AI deployments have multiple layers of protection.
The Path Toward an Inclusive Digital Economy
Colombia’s future in the global digital economy will largely depend on its ability to adopt emerging technologies such as generative AI. The current regulatory framework provides a favorable environment, but it is essential for all ecosystem players to work together to maximize benefits and mitigate potential risks.
The cloud will continue to be the key enabler of this transformation. IDC projects that by 2027, the top 5,000 Latin American companies will allocate more than 25% of their IT budgets to artificial intelligence initiatives, underscoring the urgency of preparing for this fundamental shift.
AWS reaffirms its commitment to Colombia and its vision of an inclusive, innovative digital economy. The company will continue investing in the country, supporting organizations of all sizes in their digital transformation journey, and collaborating with authorities to ensure that the regulatory framework continues to evolve in line with global best practices.