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    AI by country · South America

    AI in Chile: the rules, the readiness and where to start

    Last checked: 29 October 2026

    What should a company in Chile know before starting with AI?

    Chile has no AI law in force as of 29 October 2026. Its new data protection law, Law 21.719, is due to take effect on 1 December 2026, but on 28 October 2026 the Senate approved a bill to delay it to 1 December 2027, and that bill still needs the Chamber of Deputies. A company should prepare for Law 21.719 now, because its rules on automated decisions, transfers and breaches will apply to most AI that uses personal data.

    At a glance

    Chile at a glance

    Key facts about Chile
    Data protection lawLaw 21.719 (published 13 December 2024), due in force 1 December 2026; a bill to delay it to 1 December 2027 is pending. Law 19.628 applies until then
    RegulatorAgencia de Protección de Datos Personales, created by Law 21.719 (not yet operating as of 29 October 2026)
    AI policyNational AI Policy, updated by Decree 12 (published January 2025). AI bill 16821-19 is in the Senate
    Time zoneUTC-4, or UTC-3 in summer (September to April); Magallanes stays on UTC-3
    CurrencyCLP (Chilean peso)
    Business languageSpanish

    Why now

    Why Chile is worth watching

    Each point links to the document it comes from.

    • Law 21.719 was published on 13 December 2024 and, under its first transitional article, takes effect on 1 December 2026.[1]

    • The Senate approved a government bill on 28 October 2026 that would delay Law 21.719 to 1 December 2027 and enlarge the new agency's council. It now goes to the Chamber of Deputies.[2]

    • The AI bill 16821-19 passed the Chamber of Deputies on 13 October 2025 and has sat in the Senate's Future Challenges committee since 14 October 2025.[3]

    • The Ministry of Science updated the National AI Policy by Decree 12, published on 28 January 2025, around three axes: enabling factors, development and adoption, and governance and ethics.[6]

    • The cybersecurity framework law, Law 21.663, already requires essential service providers, including banks and hospitals, to send an early alert of significant incidents within 3 hours.[5]

    The rules

    The rules that matter for AI

    What each law or policy means when you build or buy an AI system.

    Law 21.719 on the protection and processing of personal data

    Passed, not yet in force2024People gain the right to object to, and not be subject to, decisions based only on automated processing, including profiling, that have legal or significant effects (article 8 bis). Even where an exception applies, the controller must offer an explanation, human intervention and a way to contest. Breaches that risk people's rights must be reported to the Agency without undue delay (article 14 sexies).[1]

    Law 21.719: transfers and fines

    Passed, not yet in force2024Data can go abroad to a country the Agency finds adequate, or under contract clauses, binding corporate rules or a certified compliance model (article 27). Fines reach 5,000 UTM for minor, 10,000 UTM for serious and 20,000 UTM for very serious infringements (article 35). Large companies that repeat serious breaches can face up to 2% or 4% of annual revenue.[1]

    Bill to delay Law 21.719 (bulletin 18623-07)

    Draft2026It would move the start date to 1 December 2027 and give the Agency a five-member council. The Senate approved it on 28 October 2026 with 'immediate discussion' urgency. Until the Chamber passes it and it is published, the legal date stays 1 December 2026.[2]

    AI bill (bulletin 16821-19)

    Draft2024It sorts AI systems into four risk levels (unacceptable, high, limited and no evident risk), with more duties at higher risk and a ban on unacceptable uses. A tracker reports the Ministry of Science would oversee it. It is in its second stage in the Senate, with only urgency renewals recorded in 2026.[3]

    Cybersecurity Framework Law, Law 21.663

    In force2024Essential service providers and operators of vital importance must report significant incidents: an early alert within 3 hours, an update within 72 hours and a final report within 15 days (article 9). AI systems run by banks, hospitals, telecoms and digital service providers fall inside this.[5]

    Where AI fits first

    Where AI fits first

    Banking and payments

    Fraud detection and Spanish-language customer service, with staff reviewing credit decisions.

    Banking and payments are essential services under Law 21.663, so the 3 hour incident alert applies. Article 8 bis of Law 21.719 will cover automated credit decisions.[5]

    Health care

    Summarising clinical records and scheduling support.

    Hospitals and clinics are essential services under Law 21.663. Health data is sensitive data under Law 21.719, and some breaches must also be told to the people affected.[5]

    Mining and energy

    Predictive maintenance and document search over technical manuals, using mostly non-personal data.

    Electricity and fuel distribution are essential services under Law 21.663. We found no AI rule specific to mining.[5]

    Retail and e-commerce

    Product search, support chat and demand forecasting.

    Profiling customers for offers is processing that Law 21.719 regulates, including the right to object.[1]

    Your first steps

    Your first steps

    1. Plan for Law 21.719 to apply on 1 December 2026, and treat any delay to 2027 as extra time, not a reason to stop.
    2. List each decision your AI makes about a person without human review, and design how you will explain it and let people contest it.
    3. Map every transfer of personal data abroad, including AI model and cloud providers, and choose a ground under article 27.
    4. Set up a breach log and a process to notify the Agency, and the people affected where sensitive data is involved.
    5. If you provide an essential service, check that your incident process can send the 3 hour alert required by Law 21.663.
    6. Consider a compliance model under Law 21.719, as it can also support international transfers.
    7. Follow bills 18623-07 and 16821-19 on the Senate tracking service.

    AI services for Chile

    AI consulting and development for teams in Chile

    We work remotely with companies in Chile, in your time zone, and keep your data under the rules described above.

    AI agents and automation

    Agents that finish multi-step work across your tools, with people approving what matters.
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    Document Q&A (RAG)

    Answers from your own documents, with the source shown for every answer.
    Learn more

    AI governance and data protection

    Policies, review steps and audit trails that fit your local data law.
    Learn more

    Software and cloud engineering

    Web apps, integrations and cloud platforms built around your AI use case.
    Learn more

    How we work with you

    How we work with you

    We work remotely with clients worldwide, in the client's time zone. India is on UTC+5:30. Chile is on UTC-3 in summer (September to April) and UTC-4 in winter, so India is 8.5 or 9.5 hours ahead. With a 9:00 to 18:00 day in Chile and 9:30 to 18:30 in India, the overlap is 1 hour in summer (09:00 to 10:00 in Chile, 17:30 to 18:30 in India) and none in winter. So we agree a fixed early-morning (Chile) and evening (India) call window, which in winter means a start around 08:00 in Chile, and send written updates at the end of each Indian day.

    Questions

    Common questions about AI in Chile

    When does Law 21.719 take effect?

    The law says 1 December 2026. On 28 October 2026 the Senate approved a bill to move this to 1 December 2027, but the Chamber of Deputies still has to pass it. Check the status before you plan around the later date.

    Does Chile have an AI law?

    Not as of 29 October 2026. Bill 16821-19 passed the Chamber of Deputies in October 2025 and is still in the Senate's Future Challenges committee. Its final text may change.

    Who will enforce data protection?

    The new Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales, created by Law 21.719. It will decide which countries are adequate for transfers, approve model clauses and impose fines. The pending bill would give it a five-member council.

    What fines can apply?

    Under article 35 of Law 21.719, up to 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 UTM depending on how serious the breach is. Repeat offences can bring up to three times the amount, or a share of revenue for large companies.

    Complimentary tools

    Try these first

    Three complimentary tools from our AI Toolkit that suit a team starting out.

    AI readiness score

    Answer a few questions and see where your team stands, in about five minutes.
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    AI use case triage

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    AI project cost estimator

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    Read next

    Sources

    Sources

    Facts checked on 29 October 2026. Numbers in square brackets above match this list.
    1. [1] Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (Ley Chile), 2024-12-13. Ley 21.719, que regula la protección y el tratamiento de los datos pers…(nuevo.leychile.cl)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Ley 21.719, que regula la protección y el tratamiento de los datos personales y crea la Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales. Primary law text. Used for articles 8 bis, 14 sexies, 27, 28, 30 and 35, the first transitional article, promulgation on 25 November 2024 and publication on 13 December 2024. The usual Ley Chile page did not load, so we read the library's data service.

    2. [2] Senado de Chile, 2026-10-28. Tramitación del boletín 18623-07 (modifica la Ley 21.719)(tramitacion.senado.cl)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Tramitación del boletín 18623-07 (modifica la Ley 21.719). Primary. Used for the 1 September 2026 filing, committee reports of 27 October and Senate approval in general and particular on 28 October 2026. The 2027 date and five-member council come from a Carey law firm summary (https://www.carey.cl/gobierno-ingresa-proyecto-de-ley-que-posterga-en-un-ano-entrada-en-vigor-de-la-ley-sobre-proteccion-de-datos-personales).

    3. [3] Senado de Chile, 2026-09-01. Tramitación del boletín 16821-19 (regula los sistemas de inteligencia a…(tramitacion.senado.cl)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Tramitación del boletín 16821-19 (regula los sistemas de inteligencia artificial). Primary. Used for filing on 7 May 2024, Chamber approval on 13 October 2025, Senate referral on 14 October 2025 and urgency renewals in 2026.

    4. [4] AI Policy Tracker, 2026-10-29. Chile: Proyecto de ley que regula los sistemas de inteligencia artifici…(aipolicytracker.org)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Chile: Proyecto de ley que regula los sistemas de inteligencia artificial (Boletín 16821-19). Secondary tracker, used only to summarise the bill's content: four risk levels, banned practices and oversight by the Ministry of Science.

    5. [5] Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (Ley Chile), 2024-04-08. Ley 21.663, Ley Marco de Ciberseguridad(nuevo.leychile.cl)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Ley 21.663, Ley Marco de Ciberseguridad. Primary law text. Used for article 4 (essential services) and article 9 (incident reporting deadlines).

    6. [6] Actualidad Jurídica DOE, 2025-01-28. Actualización de la Política Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial(actualidadjuridica.doe.cl)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Actualización de la Política Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial. Legal news report of Decree 12 of the Ministry of Science, published in the Diario Oficial on 28 January 2025. Used for the decree and the policy's three axes. We could not open the ministry's own copy.

    7. [7] Carey, 2026-09-01. Gobierno ingresa proyecto de ley que posterga en un año entrada en vigo…(carey.cl)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Gobierno ingresa proyecto de ley que posterga en un año entrada en vigor de la Ley 21.719. Law firm summary, used for interpretation of the delay bill: the new date of 1 December 2027 and the five-member council.

    This is general information, not legal advice. Chile's data law start date may change within weeks, and the AI bill may be rewritten. Check with a qualified Chilean lawyer before you act. Facts checked on 29 October 2026.

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