Chile launches AI initiatives to curb berry pest damage and speed cancer diagnosis

Researchers at INIA Quilamapu, backed by the Agrarian Innovation Foundation and Chile Alimentos, have begun a project to develop an artificial‑intelligence‑driven early‑warning system for the invasive Drosophila suzukii pest that threatens berry orchards in the Maule and Ñuble regions. Entomologist Luis Devotto explained that the predictive model could cut infestations by “30 to 60 %,” helping more than 1,600 producers reduce losses.

Corfo has also introduced the PRECISION‑AI programme to create AI tools for faster cancer detection and patient management. Corfo executive José Mujica said AI “represents an opportunity to increase productivity, attract investment and generate highly‑specialised jobs,” while project director Ricardo Arnísen highlighted the effort to train and validate models in real clinical settings.

Both initiatives aim to make advanced data‑driven technologies freely available to Chile’s agricultural and health sectors, improving competitiveness and public health outcomes.