ANDICOM 2026 will put on the table the gap that is beginning to impact the country’s digital competitiveness.

Bogotá, May 2026. The adoption of artificial intelligence in Colombia is advancing at two speeds. While citizens are incorporating this technology at an accelerated pace into their daily lives, a significant portion of the business fabric remains behind, creating a gap that is beginning to impact the country’s competitiveness.

Recently, CINTEL, the Center for Innovation, Productivity and Technological Development, conducted the study Digital Consumer Profile, which analyzes internet access and usage habits, as well as the adoption of artificial intelligence in Colombia. Among its findings, the report reveals that 48% of Colombians surveyed already use AI tools in academic and work activities, evidencing a rapid adoption of this technology.

In parallel, the study AI: The Readiness Gap, focused on analyzing the adoption of artificial intelligence in Colombian MSMEs and also conducted by CINTEL, reveals that 40% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises have no plans to incorporate this technology in the short or medium term, reflecting a structural lag in the productive sector.

Far from being a matter of interest, the gap is driven by capacity limitations. 45% of business owners want to innovate with artificial intelligence, but only 32% have managed to implement it, mainly due to barriers in infrastructure, talent, and digital maturity. This gap deepens further when observing that only 9% of companies — the “digital pioneers” — are capitalizing on AI up to five times faster than the national average, consolidating competitive advantages that are difficult to close in the short term.

In this context, ANDICOM 2026, the most important congress of the digital ecosystem in Latin America, is emerging as the main stage to address this challenge from a strategic perspective. The event, which will be held from September 1 to 4 in Cartagena and is organized by CINTEL, will have artificial intelligence as its central axis under the theme “Unleashing the Power of AI,” with the objective of translating its potential into concrete results for the economy.

“Today we are seeing a critical disconnect: citizens are already incorporating artificial intelligence into their daily lives, but many companies still do not have the capabilities to do so. The conversation is no longer whether AI will transform the economy, but how prepared we are to capture that value,” states Manuel Martínez.

“ANDICOM 2026 is the space where this gap becomes an action agenda. Closing this distance requires coordinated decisions on public policy, infrastructure, talent, and digital trust,” noted Mario Castaño, Technical Director of CINTEL.

However, the challenge is not only business-related. According to the Digital Consumer Profile study, on the user side, adoption also comes with tensions. 44% of Colombians fear that artificial intelligence will impact their employment in the future, highlighting the need to move toward a technological transformation that integrates trust, training, and talent adaptation.

This scenario reinforces the importance of addressing artificial intelligence from a comprehensive perspective, one that not only drives its adoption but also ensures its responsible and sustainable use.

Along these lines, ANDICOM 2026 will articulate its agenda around four key dimensions: public policy and regulation, cybersecurity and digital trust, connectivity and infrastructure, and the development of specialized human talent.

Additionally, the congress will feature the European Union as its Guest of Honor, strengthening the focus on AI adoption aligned with international standards for responsible development.