SANTO DOMINGO – A newly released bulletin from the Dominican Republic’s National Statistics Office has marked a key milestone in the nation’s private-sector digital transformation, reporting that 35 percent of formal Dominican companies with internet access have already integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations.
The findings are drawn from the 2025 National Survey of Economic Activity (ENAE), which also measured that 94.7 percent of all Dominican companies now have access to corporate internet connectivity. This widespread digital infrastructure has laid a critical foundation for the adoption of advanced cutting-edge technological solutions across the country’s business ecosystem, the survey confirmed.
Analysis of the data shows that organizational size is a major determining factor in AI adoption rates. Large enterprises with 250 or more employees lead the national tech transition, posting a 52 percent AI usage rate. Mid-sized firms, those with between 50 and 99 workers, follow closely with a 46.1 percent adoption rate, positioning the mid-tier business segment as one of the most receptive to operational innovation driven by AI.
When broken down by productive sector, the report reveals an unexpected leading adopter: the mining and quarrying industry, which holds a 45.7 percent AI usage rate, outpacing all other major economic sectors. Two other sectors with heavy automation dependence rank high as well: construction at 39.1 percent and manufacturing at 38.1 percent. These figures highlight a deep, ongoing shift in the nation’s construction frameworks and industrial production processes.
Even in the retail sector, 36.9 percent of connected formal businesses have implemented AI solutions, a statistic that underscores a broader national shift: artificial intelligence is no longer a distant future trend for Dominican commerce, but a standard operational resource embedded in daily business activity.
Alongside rising AI adoption, the Dominican business landscape is undergoing a parallel profound transformation in digital transaction systems. Carlos Santelises, vice president of GCS International, explained that the country has progressed rapidly from legacy magnetic payment terminals to a consolidated ecosystem of contactless payments and instant mobile transfers.
This evolution has created a simpler, faster transaction infrastructure that benefits formal businesses and plays an outsized role in advancing national financial inclusion. The new system allows consumers to complete payments, deposits, and withdrawals through banking sub-agents located in everyday businesses such as local pharmacies and neighborhood supermarkets.
Santelises emphasized that digital transaction tools also help both entrepreneurs and regular consumers build formal credit histories. This opens access to regulated credit products through the formal financial system, pulling users away from unregulated informal lenders, while also allowing financial institutions to gain deeper, more accurate insights into customer behavior.
However, the rapid expansion of corporate connectivity and digital payment systems has also brought new, pressing risks. With that, cybersecurity has become a non-negotiable priority for companies operating in this new digital ecosystem, as threats linked to emerging technologies continue to grow.
Speaking during the recent Dominican Fintech Forum, organized by the national Fintech association ADOFINTECH, Santelises warned that the development of new digital financial products must be paired with robust risk mitigation systems to address widespread cyber vulnerabilities. Only strong security frameworks can ensure a reliably safe digital environment for businesses and consumers alike.
For all companies integrated into the nation’s new digital and AI-powered ecosystem, specialized security infrastructure and rigorous data protection protocols are no longer optional add-ons. They are core, essential components to safeguard daily operations and maintain the hard-won trust of Dominican consumers.