80% of small and medium enterprises in Peru have integrated AI into their operations, according to Experis Peru. Investment in this technology will grow nearly fourfold in the country, the largest increase in Latin America.
Eight out of ten Peruvian small and medium enterprises are already using artificial intelligence in their daily operations, according to a study by Experis Peru at the end of 2025. This figure, far from being a projection, reflects the reality of the Peruvian business ecosystem in 2026.
The report indicates that Peruvian companies expect to multiply their investment in AI by 3.9 within their total technology spending. This is the highest increase in all of Latin America, according to data from Lenovo and IDC. The average return on investment reaches 2.5 times the initial capital, with a payback period of 13.7 months.
Artificial intelligence has ceased to be the exclusive domain of large corporations. A micro or small enterprise can access AI tools from 60 soles per month and compete in productivity, customer service, and data analysis with larger companies.
Accessible tools for small businesses
The software as a service (SaaS) market has democratized access to AI. It is no longer necessary to hire developers or invest thousands of dollars. To start, the most economical options include ChatGPT Plus for 60 soles per month, ideal for generating sales texts, posts, and commercial emails. There are also alternatives like Jasper AI or Copy.ai, specialized in marketing and commercial content.
In process automation, Zapier Agents (20-50 dollars per month), Make.com (10-30 dollars), and n8n, which offers plans from free to 20 dollars per month, stand out. For customer service, Botpress allows the creation of multichannel chatbots from free to 50 dollars per month, while Relevance AI offers sales agents and automated support for 19-199 dollars per month. In data analysis, Google Looker Studio is free and integrates AI to visualize sales, inventory, and profitability.
The most efficient route for an SME with a limited budget is to combine an automation tool (Zapier or Make) with a generative one (ChatGPT), measure time savings and impact on sales, and then scale up.
Legal framework and support programs
The Peruvian government approved the Regulation of Law No. 31814 on September 9, 2025, which establishes the legal framework for the use of AI in the country. Additionally, on May 2, 2026, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2026-2030 (ENIA) came into effect, the first formal roadmap with budget, responsibilities, and concrete goals until 2030. ENIA includes AI deployment, training, and regulatory sandboxes, opening opportunities for business projects with state support.
ProInnóvate maintains active programs for the digital transformation of SMEs, such as Mype Digital, a specific fund to migrate from basic uses to advanced digital tools, including AI. The focus is on technological adoption, process digitization, and productivity improvement, rather than merely purchasing software. To access these funds, SMEs must consult the current calls on the official ProInnóvate and Produce portals, as amounts and requirements vary.
According to the ASUS Report 2025, 87% of Peruvian SMEs claim to be ready to adopt AI, with tangible results in productivity, data analysis, and customer service. Another source from 2026 raises that figure to 83%.
The most effective use cases for SMEs in 2026 include automated customer service through chatbots on WhatsApp or web, which reduce response times from hours to seconds; the generation of commercial content, allowing one person to produce product descriptions, social media posts, and follow-up emails; and simplified data analysis with automatic dashboards for sales, inventory, and profitability that update in real-time.
For any SME interested in making the leap, the first step is to define a specific process where AI can generate measurable savings, start with a low-cost tool, and scale based on the results.
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