Artificial intelligence in Brazil is being examined through a systematic review of 87 studies released between May 2022 and May 2026. The analysis, commissioned by Meta Brazil, found no projections of a negative effect on gross domestic product or overall productivity, though most evidence still relies on theoretical models rather than observed outcomes.
The review notes that the anticipated gains from AI depend more on overcoming historic bottlenecks than on the technology itself. A separate Reglab paper by Costa Filho and Palanca adapted Acemoglu’s framework to 12 Brazilian sectors and forecast an additional R$ 986.7 billion to GDP between 2027 and 2030, measured in present value.
Two-thirds of that boost is attributed to higher worker productivity, with the remaining share coming from more efficient machines and equipment. The model assumes a slower diffusion than in advanced economies because of credit costs and skill gaps.
Sector-level estimates vary sharply. The manufacturing industry is projected to add R$ 264.2 billion, split evenly between labor and capital. In agriculture, about 92 percent of the effect is expected to stem from capital such as sensors, drones and machinery, showing a common misreading of AI impact when only occupational exposure is measured.
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Globally, one in four workers interacts with generative AI, yet only 3.3 percent hold jobs with a high automation potential (Gmyrek et al., 2025). In Latin America, exposure reaches 30-40 percent of jobs, while full automation is limited to 2-5 percent, a distinction emphasized by the International Labour Organization.
In Brazil, the pattern diverges from past industrial revolutions: AI touches office work and highly educated professionals more than manual labor. Exposure is 10.2 percent among workers with no schooling but jumps to 42.7 percent for university graduates, mirroring findings from the International Monetary Fund that over 85 percent of college-educated Brazilians now use AI-intensive tools.
For most employees, the real test will be whether they can translate AI exposure into higher wages or job security. If firms invest in training and redesign work processes, workers stand to benefit from productivity gains; without such support, the technology could simply widen existing income gaps.
Adoption gaps and barriers
Adoption remains uneven. In 2025, 17 percent of firms with ten or more employees reported using AI, up from 13 percent the year before. Large companies account for half of that usage, midsize firms 32 percent, and small businesses only 15 percent, with 80 percent of adopters relying on off-the-shelf solutions rather than in-house development.
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Sectoral asymmetries echo this trend. Major news outlets have deployed AI for chatbots and fact-checking, while smaller publishers struggle with fragmented use and heightened data-security risks.
Gender and race disparities also surface. In the third quarter of 2025, 35.4 percent of employed women were exposed to generative AI compared with roughly 25 percent of men. Meanwhile, 10.6 million Afro-Brazilian residents lack internet access, and most of those connected depend solely on mobile data plans.
Patent activity highlights foreign dependence. In 2023, more than 80 percent of invention patent applications originated abroad, and in AI specifically Brazil recorded only 550 patents in 2019, all held by foreign firms. Between 2019 and 2024, just eight of 264 AI-related patent requests were granted.
Physical infrastructure concerns culminated in a legal challenge last month. In September 2026, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Federal Public Defender’s Office filed a suit to halt the TikTok data-center project in Pecém, Ceará, citing environmental impact and proximity to the Anacé Indigenous territory.
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Regional and technological disparities
Foreign entities dominate the country’s patent environment. In the field of artificial intelligence, Brazil recorded only 550 patents in 2019, with all of the 20 largest depositors being foreign companies.
Policy allocation and priorities
Allocations within the Brazilian AI Plan for 2024-2028 reflect existing power structures. The plan designates R$ 23 billion across five axes, with 59.9 percent directed toward business innovation. Infrastructure and AI development receives 25.1 percent, while public services get 7.6 percent.
Diffusion, training and capacity building receive only 5 percent of the budget. Regulatory support and governance occupy 0.4 percent. The remaining 1.9 percent funds immediate impact actions. This distribution places industry and infrastructure at the top, while support for micro and small enterprises accounts for R$ 305 million, or roughly 1 percent of the total.
