Cracking Crime with AI

The IDB is tackling crime in Latin America and the Caribbean

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how we tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. From advancing healthcare and helping nature conservation to unlocking new possibilities every day. But perhaps nowhere is its potential more urgently needed than in public safety and crime prevention – especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For too many people in the region, crime and violence are a daily reality. At least 80 million people live in areas severely affected by insecurity, with staggering costs: crime costs the region 3.4% of GDP annually, the equivalent of 80% of what the region spends on education. And the region continues to account for a third of homicides worldwide, even though it is home to just 8% of the world’s population.

Homicide vs Population

AI is beginning to tilt this balance. In Chile, for example, AI tracks fugitives and missing persons through license-plate recognition. In Peru, smart cameras detect suspicious activity in public places. In Ecuador, which was overwhelmed by drug-gang violence last year, a new AI-driven Organized Crime Predictor system will soon help police target precious patrol resources to violence-prone areas.

At the IDB, we’re working with countries across the region to harness AI’s power – not just to fight crime, but to do so ethically and responsibly by creating the foundations of institutional capacity and legal frameworks. 

For instance, in Chile, Ecuador and Peru, we are supporting governments in deploying advanced AI programs to investigate complex organized-crime networks. These tools can analyze vast amounts of data to track individuals, assets, financial transactions and cross-border criminal activity, helping investigators connect the dots and accelerate investigations and prosecutions.

We are also helping countries use AI and satellite imagery to detect illegal deforestation and illegal mining – activities that fund organized crime and destroy ecosystems.

Of course, AI also presents challenges, including concerns about privacy and transparency. Through our fAIrLAC+ platform, we’re helping governments adopt AI responsibly – ensuring that protecting people’s rights is as important as protecting their safety.

This work on AI and crime complements the IDB’s broader efforts, including the Alliance for Security, Justice and Development, which brings together 19 countries and 11 organizations to tackle organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean.

But AI’s potential goes beyond crime prevention. So far, the IDB has backed 86 AI projects and initiatives in countries across the region, from combating corruption and cleaning urban air to providing better healthcare for the elderly. To ensure that our efforts are consistent and sustainable, we’ve launched a new AI Framework to guide our work. This focuses on three pillars:

• Institutions and governance: help governments create AI-friendly regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines
• Data and infrastructure: reduce barriers to technology adoption and build critical infrastructure and data-sharing ecosystems
• People: train a public- and private-sector workforce to harness AI to increase innovation, boost growth, and solve development challenges

If wielded correctly and responsibly, AI can be more than a tool; it can be a chance to rewrite the future. For Latin America and the Caribbean, it means safer streets, stronger institutions, and smarter solutions to the region’s toughest challenges.