São Paulo, Brazil is rapidly establishing itself as a key hub for artificial intelligence development in Latin America, as evidenced by the inaugural NVIDIA AI Day held in the city in January 2026. The event, part of NVIDIA’s global tour, brought together over 500 developers, researchers, and startup founders to discuss the latest advancements in AI and, crucially, the strategic importance of “sovereign AI” – leveraging local data and infrastructure for technological autonomy.
The timing of NVIDIA’s focus on Brazil aligns with the Brazilian government’s ambitious “AI for the Good of All” plan, a comprehensive initiative outlining over 50 projects aimed at modernizing public services and industry through AI. The government intends to invest approximately $4 billion through 2028, concentrating on AI infrastructure, workforce development, and fostering business innovation. This commitment signals a clear national strategy to not only adopt AI technologies but to develop and control them domestically.
The concept of sovereign AI, repeatedly emphasized at the event, is about more than just national pride. It’s a pragmatic response to concerns about data security, algorithmic bias, and the potential for dependence on foreign technology providers. By building AI systems on locally sourced data and utilizing domestic infrastructure, Brazil aims to ensure that the benefits of AI accrue to its own citizens, and businesses.
Several Brazilian startups are already at the forefront of this effort. Biofy, a biotechnology company, highlighted how NVIDIA GPUs and frameworks dramatically accelerate complex DNA data analysis, reducing processing times from potentially weeks to mere hours. Paulo Perez, Biofy’s cofounder and CEO, stated that “NVIDIA solutions are fundamental to all the technologies we develop.” This illustrates the practical impact of accelerated computing on a critical industry.
The NVIDIA AI Day in São Paulo wasn’t solely focused on high-level strategy. The event featured hands-on technical labs from the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute, covering topics such as building AI agents and Large Language Models (LLMs). Sessions also focused on retrieval-augmented generation, emphasizing the importance of linguistic diversity in AI models. This practical component underscores NVIDIA’s commitment to empowering developers with the tools and knowledge they need to build innovative AI applications.
The event also showcased the growing NVIDIA ecosystem within Brazil. Over 1,000 startups are currently participating in the NVIDIA Inception program, and nearly 20,000 individuals have completed training through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. Brazilian universities are increasingly leveraging NVIDIA’s high-performance computing infrastructure for AI research. These figures demonstrate a significant and expanding base of talent and resources dedicated to AI development within the country.
Several companies presented their work at the event, demonstrating the breadth of AI applications being developed in Brazil. Amadeus AI showcased techniques for efficiently fine-tuning LLMs, while Langflow shared architecture patterns for building robust AI agents. WideLabs presented its work on sovereign AI platforms, emphasizing the importance of data governance and security. Rodrigo Malossi, cofounder and CTO of WideLabs, noted that the event provided valuable insights into NVIDIA’s new initiatives related to large-scale, national-level AI efforts.
NVIDIA is also partnering with Claro, a Brazilian telecommunications provider, to accelerate the deployment of sovereign AI solutions in the region. Claro has become the first NVIDIA Cloud Partner in Latin America, further solidifying the commitment to building a robust AI infrastructure within Brazil. This partnership is expected to facilitate access to NVIDIA’s cutting-edge technologies for a wider range of businesses and organizations.
The success of the inaugural NVIDIA AI Day in São Paulo suggests that Brazil is poised to become a significant player in the global AI landscape. The combination of government investment, a thriving startup ecosystem, and a growing pool of skilled talent creates a fertile ground for innovation. The focus on sovereign AI, while driven by strategic considerations, also promises to foster a more inclusive and equitable AI ecosystem, one that benefits all Brazilians.
Looking ahead, the continued collaboration between NVIDIA, the Brazilian government, and local companies will be crucial to realizing the full potential of AI in the country. The emphasis on LLM development, healthcare applications, and financial services suggests areas where Brazil is likely to see significant advancements in the coming years. The event underscored that Brazil isn’t simply adopting AI; it’s actively shaping its future with AI, on its own terms.
