AI and blockchain are already revolutionizing how credit is assessed, structured, and granted.

Fotografía de la Charla Dentro del Camino de la Inteligencia Artificial.

Helga Sierra, Managing Partner of Infinity Partners LATAM, shares one of three key insights after attending the FinnLAC Forum organized by IDB Invest in Miami, Florida. The FinnLAC Forum is the leading regional event on financial innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group.

Across Latin America, financial institutions and fintechs are no longer asking whether they should adopt artificial intelligence, but how quickly they can scale it responsibly.

At the #FinnLACForum , real-world cases were presented where AI is replicating traditional credit committee processes, using unconventional data such as cell phone usage, digital behavior, designing thousands of simultaneous daily advertising campaigns , and even using photographic inventory assessments in micro-enterprises to determine if an applicant could qualify for a loan.

Tokenization, Digital Alchemy (Sobre el rol de los reguladores antes las nuevas técnologías y nuevas oportunidades)

Meanwhile, blockchain technology is opening up new possibilities in credit and asset management . Tokenized representations of physical assets, from farmland to vehicles and livestock, are improving transparency, security, and access to capital, especially in underserved rural areas. Microfinance institutions can adapt technologies from other business models to generate innovative solutions and improve their processes and operations.

Institutions such as Banco W, Mercado Pago, Nequi, Revolut and other emerging startups in Barbados and Colombia are already implementing these technologies to serve customers historically excluded from the financial system.

However, there is a need to collaborate with regulators to build frameworks that encourage innovation while still protecting the user.

The opportunities are clear:

• Building more inclusive, data-driven, and resilient financial systems for the future of Latin America.

• Users (potential customers) can access solutions never seen before.

• Companies must adopt tools, strategies, and systems that strengthen their operations and enable sustainable growth.

Our question for you is:

What is the current state of your company in terms of using new technologies to optimize operational processes and launch new products or services?

How willing are you to adapt and generate changes that will lead you into the future?