Latin American Nations Unite to Launch Latam GPT Open-Source AI in September

A coalition of around 12 Latin American countries is preparing to launch its very own large language model  Latam-GPT  in September 2025, according to Chilean officials. 

The project is being spearheaded by Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) with support from over 30 institutions across the region. 

The aim of Latam-GPT is to build an open-source AI that reflects Latin America’s linguistic and cultural diversity something many global models struggle with. 

 Unlike mainstream AI systems, which are often trained on English-heavy data, Latam-GPT is designed to better process Spanish, Portuguese, and even Indigenous languages. 

 One of the first Indigenous languages they plan to support is Rapa Nui, spoken on Easter Island, with plans to include more. 

Built on Llama 3 technology, Latam-GPT is being trained using a distributed network of computing resources  including regional computing centers and cloud infrastructure. 

 This decentralized setup helps reduce reliance on major global tech players and makes the AI more accessible across Latin America. 

Even though the project doesn’t have a fully committed budget yet, key backers believe showcasing a working model will attract more investment. 

 The Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and Amazon Web Services are already supporting the infrastructure side, helping ensure the model’s deployment is feasible at scale. 

Chilean Science Minister Aisen Etcheverry called Latam-GPT a “democratizing element for AI,” highlighting its potential use in education and healthcare. 

 Specifically, the model could power region-specific chatbots for public services, serve as a tutor in schools, or assist in local-language virtual health consultations.

One of the central ambitions of the project is technological sovereignty Latin America’s ability to create and control its own AI tools rather than relying entirely on foreign models. 

 By doing so, the region hopes to reduce the AI performance gap and ensure that technologies are aligned with local needs and values.

If successful, Latam-GPT could reshape how governments, businesses, and communities in Latin America use artificial intelligence, giving them a tailor-made tool that understands their realities not just a cloned version of Silicon Valley’s models.