La Paradoja de la Adopción de IA en PYMES de Ecosistemas Emergentes: Evidencia Empírico desde Santa Marta, Colombia

Digital transformation has become a strategic imperative for SMEs in emerging economies; however, a gap persists between the institutional discourse promoting artificial intelligence (AI) and the actual capabilities of local business ecosystems. This study characterizes the level of digital marketing maturity and the disposition toward AI among SMEs in Santa Marta, Colombia, through an explanatory sequential mixed-method design applied to 256 firms (N = 761; 95% confidence level; 5% margin of error). The findings reveal that 61% lack a web presence; effective AI adoption reaches only 2%, despite 48.8% expressing interest; and the predominant barriers are cognitive and organizational (82%), rather than financial (4%). An ordinal logistic regression model confirms that digital infrastructure and economic sector are significant predictors of AI readiness. These results reveal an adoption paradox that is fundamentally cognitive in nature, challenging prevailing assumptions in public policy regarding business digitalization.