AI training for SMEs: Chile's government sets a goal of training 150,000 SMEs in 2027
Chile's government launched an AI training for SMEs alliance aiming to train 150,000 in 2027. Today only 6.8% of small companies in Latin America use AI.
· 2 min read
AI training for SMEs has a new national goal in Chile: 150,000 SMEs accessing training in artificial intelligence and digital technologies during 2027. The commitment was announced by Minister of Economy and Mining Daniel Mas when signing an alliance during SME Week 2026, as reported by Diario Estrategia.
"I am honored to announce this ambitious national goal for 2027," Mas said at the Hub Metropolitano in Santiago, where the agreement was signed.
150,000
SMEs to be trained
during 2027
100,000+
Entrepreneurs in Hazlo con IA
CENIA and SOFOFA program
6.8%
Small companies using AI
Latin America and the Caribbean
Source: Diario Estrategia (Oct 19, 2026) and CENIA, ILIA 2026
View the data as a table
| SMEs to be trained | 150,000 | during 2027 |
| Entrepreneurs in Hazlo con IA | 100,000+ | CENIA and SOFOFA program |
| Small companies using AI | 6.8% | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Who is involved in AI training for SMEs
The agreement was signed by the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, Pacto Pyme, Desafío Latam and Abastible. The 150,000 goal also adds programs from other organizations:
| Program | Who runs it |
|---|---|
| Hazlo con IA | CENIA and Futuro del Trabajo SOFOFA Capital Humano, with the Ministry |
| AI Academy for SMEs | |
| AWS Entrena Chile | Amazon Web Services |
| Desafío Latam scholarships | Applied AI, automation, digital marketing, data analysis, cloud and cybersecurity |
According to Natalia Lidijover, executive director of Futuro del Trabajo SOFOFA Capital Humano, more than 100,000 entrepreneurs have already joined Hazlo con IA. "Artificial intelligence has to be a concrete productivity tool for SMEs," she said.
Why SMEs are the big gap
The goal targets the group that lags furthest behind. According to the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA) 2026 by ECLAC and CENIA, in Latin America and the Caribbean, AI in business depends heavily on company size:
A large company is four times more likely to use AI than a small one. In Chile, the same index estimates that 13.5% of companies use it. We review those figures in detail in our article on AI in business.
Lack of training is one of the barriers companies themselves acknowledge: 46.5% of Chilean companies say they lack specialized talent to implement AI, according to an Experian study we analyze in investment in artificial intelligence.
What we still don't know
The announcement does not detail the initiative's budget or how it will measure that an SME has been "trained". Nor does it say how many of the 150,000 SMEs will come from each program. To follow AI training for SMEs, the official SME Week site lists the Ministry's activities.
What it means for you
- If you run an SME: during 2027 there will be more AI training for SMEs; check the programs in the table and choose based on your needs (sales, marketing, administration).
- If you already use AI in your business: you are among the 6.8% of small companies in the region that have adopted it; documenting results will help you measure whether to expand its use.
- If you provide services to SMEs: the goal of 150,000 companies opens up demand for support after the course, which is when tools actually get implemented.
Sources
- AI training for SMEs
- SMEs
- AI in business
- SME Week
- Hazlo con IA