World Bank: SMEs Are Falling Behind on AI. Here Is How to Automate Your Business
October 7, 2026. On October 6, the World Bank released its Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Review: the region will grow 2.2% in 2026, and Mexico just 1.4%. But the figure entrepreneurs should pay the most attention to is a different one: artificial intelligence in SMEs is advancing far more slowly than in large companies. Whoever manages to bring AI and automation to the point of sale will gain a clear edge over most competitors.
What happened: the World Bank puts AI at the center of productivity
According to Forbes Centroamérica, with information from EFE, the institution expects Latin America and the Caribbean to grow 2.2% this year, slightly below the 2.4% recorded in 2025. The two largest economies are moving more slowly: Brazil at 2.1% and Mexico at 1.4%. By contrast, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic would grow 4.7%, El Salvador 4.5% and Panama 4.2%.
The report notes that AI can help boost productivity and estimates that between 40% and 60% of Latin American companies already use it. However, it warns that the region's main bottleneck is not access to the technology but the capacity to absorb it. The World Bank's chief economist for the region, Carlos Rodríguez-Castelán, summed it up this way: "there is a wide dispersion between what a large company does and what a small one does." Large companies in Mexico, for example, are closer to those in the United States than to other developing regions; small ones are falling behind.
Context: AI that is "broad but shallow"
According to Expreso, which covers the same report using Microsoft data, adoption of generative AI tools reached a median of 17% among people aged 15 to 64 in Latin America and the Caribbean in the first quarter of 2026. Business use is described as broad but shallow: it mostly serves to draft texts and search for information, and it is rarely built into the core of the business, which is selling and serving customers.
Add to this the conditions the institution mentions: inflation that has not fully eased, high interest rates that make credit more expensive, and low productivity. In that environment, every peso invested has to work more hours with fewer staff.
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What it means for entrepreneurs and importers
If the gap lies between large and small companies, the opportunity is to close it where the money is made: the point of sale. Using AI to write emails helps, but it does not change your revenue. What does change it is equipment that serves, charges and reports on its own, 24 hours a day, without depending on hiring and training staff.
That is where smart vending machines and self-service kiosks come in. They solve three concrete problems for small businesses: selling after hours, accepting card or QR payments without a cashier, and knowing from your phone what is selling and when to restock. Who pays for it? Shoppers in malls, offices, hotels, gyms, hospitals and events, who are already used to paying with their phones and value speed.
In addition, the uneven growth described by the World Bank opens doors beyond Mexico: El Salvador, for example, is among the fastest-growing economies this year, and at Ciaespinoza.com we also quote shipments to Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, Spain and other destinations.
How to take advantage of it with Ciaespinoza.com
- AI T-shirt printing kiosk: the customer types keywords and the AI creates the design, or uploads a photo via QR code; the T-shirt is printed in about 4 minutes and 20 seconds. It is AI applied directly to selling in malls, theme parks and events. MXN $404,612.64, DDP Mexico, VAT included, made to order.
- Vending machine for delivery robots: it communicates with the delivery robot and hands over the order to be taken to the room or office. Ideal for hotels and corporate buildings that already work with robots (robot not included). MXN $103,930.20, DDP Mexico, VAT included, made to order.
- Coffee and prepared drinks vending machine: it makes coffee, milk tea, protein shakes and fruit drinks without a barista, with an Android system, Wi-Fi or 4G connectivity and alerts when powder, water or cleaning is needed. MXN $141,858.72, DDP Mexico, VAT included, made to order.
- 36-channel touchscreen snack vending machine: the entry point to automating your sales; it accepts bills, coins and gives change, with optional card or QR payments, and offers control and monitoring through an Android system. MXN $98,407.44, DDP Mexico, VAT included, made to order.
All our machines are made to order and come with a 12-month warranty on parts against manufacturing defects (labor not included).
Conclusion: the AI that actually moves your sales
The World Bank report makes it clear that AI is not the problem; the challenge is small companies' capacity to make the most of it. For entrepreneurs, the most direct path is to put that technology to work where payments happen. Discover the AI T-shirt printing kiosk and request your quote on WhatsApp at +1 (555) 967-3577. You can also browse our full catalog at ciaespinoza.com/collections/all or write to us at info@ciaespinoza.com.
Sources: Forbes Centroamérica / EFE, Expreso, La Voz de Michoacán. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.