Digital appropriation in Colombia: between artificial intelligence, mobile phones, and internet use

The sixth wave of the National Consulting Center's (CNC) "Digital Appropriation Study" shows how the internet has transcended being a simple consultation tool to become a fundamental space where citizens interact, work, learn, and entertain themselves. The research highlights advances in connectivity and device use, as well as the growing impact of artificial intelligence.

For the report, the CNC conducted 3,500 in-person surveys in 63 municipalities in Colombia, as well as 1,000 in Peru and 1,000 in Chile. This analysis proposes a new way of understanding digitalization, not only as access to technology, but also as people's ability to integrate it into their daily lives and take advantage of its opportunities.

“This isn't a study of technology; it's a study of people. Technology only makes sense when people manage to appropriate it,” said Carlos Lemoine, leader of the CNC's “Appropriation and Digital Transformation Studies.” “With the emergence of artificial intelligence, the key question arises: is it at the service of human beings or the other way around? Digital appropriation is today the way to reduce gaps and ensure that technology fulfills its promise of democratizing opportunities,” he emphasized.

In this regard, Colombia's connectivity landscape shows notable progress. By 2025, 87 percent of Colombians will be internet users, a figure that has grown steadily from the 58 percent recorded in 2016.

This access is primarily achieved through mobile devices. Smartphones are the undisputed king, present in 76 percent of households, while smart TVs have gained significant ground, reaching 47 percent of families.

Digital appropriation is today the way to reduce gaps and ensure that technology fulfills its promise of democratizing opportunities.

The CNC study creates and measures digital maturity through the "Digital Citizenship Pathway," which classifies users into three levels. In Colombia, 18 percent of users are at an advanced level, meaning they use the internet productively for transactions, education, and participation.

One of the study's most significant findings is the exponential growth of artificial intelligence. By 2025, 26 percent of Colombians will be familiar with AI tools, and 24 percent will already be using them, a considerable jump from the 12 percent and 9.6 percent in 2023.

Adoption, however, is not homogeneous. There is a gender gap, as 30 percent of male internet users use AI, compared to 19 percent of women. The socioeconomic gap is also marked: AI use reaches 43 percent in the upper strata, while in the lower strata it is 20 percent. Generation Z leads this trend with 47 percent use.

The majority of Colombian users consider themselves to be in an early stage of proficiency: 51 percent define themselves as "intermediate," and 46 percent as "learners," with only three percent considering themselves "experts."

The most common uses of AI are primarily for reporting, searching for information, writing or correcting texts, and performing translations.