
BRAZIL - The Race for Global AI Is On
Brazil’s government unveiled a bold 23 billion reais ($4 billion) artificial intelligence investment plan aimed at propelling the country into the ranks of global technology leaders.
The comprehensive strategy allocates funds over four years through 2028. Nearly 14 billion reais will support business innovation projects, while more than 5 billion reais will develop AI infrastructure.
The remaining funds target training initiatives, public service improvements, and regulatory frameworks. “Instead of waiting for AI to come from China, the U.S., South Korea, or Japan, why not have our own?”
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Luciana Santos highlighted that Brazil now matches European Union levels of public AI investment. She emphasized the importance of capacity building through the country’s eleven competence centers.
A cornerstone project involves upgrading the Santos Dumont supercomputer, which has already risen from the top 500 most powerful globally to the top 100. Brazil aims to position it among the world’s top five computational systems.
The initiative represents Latin America’s largest economy staking its claim in the global AI landscape. It aims for technological autonomy while developing solutions that promote social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
-www.riotimesonline.com, 13 March 2025
Arno's Commentary
Presently, the undisputed leader is the USA, with the highest venture capital investments in AI, at over $87 billion. It is followed by China at $40 billion, the UK at $7 billion, Germany at $4 billion, and Israel at $4 billion. If Brazil’s projected level of investment reaches $4 billion, the nation will easily be in the top ten globally.
Yes, the race is on, but we must mention there is no clear winner; competition is the rule of the game.
Regarding humanoid robot technology in China: “Industry projections indicate explosive growth, with China’s humanoid robot market expected to reach 5.3 billion yuan (about 739 million U.S. dollars) by 2025. This figure is set to skyrocket to 75 billion yuan by 2029, capturing 32.7 percent of global sales, according to a 2024 humanoid robot industry conference report” (english.news.cn, 13 March 2025).
While in the past, competitive nations like Japan and Germany superseded the giant USA in the motor vehicle production sector, artificial intelligence is not the same, since the end result is presently unknown. Yet, there seems little doubt that in the end, AI will be beneficial to the entire world.
We as Bible believers must add that the ultimate global power is the epitome of evil, as we can read in Revelation 13: “and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority … And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast” (verses 2b, 4a). We note that the word “given” appears twice in verse 5, and verse 7 concludes: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” That will come to pass in due time.