In today’s Wealth Wednesday episode, we break down two major developments shaping the future of Latin America’s digital economy: the explosive rise of AI and fintech across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, and TikTok’s massive new data center project in Brazil valued at 38 billion dollars.

Latin America has become one of the fastest-growing regions in the world for AI adoption, with fintech expanding more than 300 percent from 2017 to 2023. But despite this rapid growth, companies across the region are facing a huge talent shortage. More than 60 percent of businesses report that AI training is their number one need, and 40 percent say they do not have the internal talent to scale their AI operations. We explore why the demand is rising so quickly, where AI is being used the most (payments, fraud detection, customer service, e-commerce), and whether Latin America can develop the workforce needed to compete globally.

We also break down TikTok’s plan to build a 38 billion dollar renewable-energy-powered data center on the northern coast of Brazil. This project will bring more than 4,000 jobs to the region, deepen Brazil’s role in global tech infrastructure, and place the country at the center of a growing competition between the United States and China for digital dominance in Latin America.

This episode covers economics, geopolitics, AI innovation, global talent gaps, and the future of the Latin American tech ecosystem. If you want to understand where opportunity is heading over the next decade, this is a must-watch conversation.

Chapters

00:00 Intro and episode setup
01:53 Why AI and fintech are exploding across Latin America
03:43 What is driving 300 percent fintech growth
05:39 Why companies lack AI skills and training
08:06 Who benefits from AI opportunities in emerging markets
10:29 What high-paying AI jobs reveal about the talent gap
15:13 Why TikTok is investing 38B in a Brazil data center
17:27 What this means for US-China influence in Latin America
21:17 Should Latin America become a global AI competitor
22:43 When the Latin Wealth community launches