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Digital Divide in Agribusiness: University–Community Interaction
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the rural sector represents a multidimensional challenge that transcends mere technical adoption to become a process of social and economic construction. This study analyzes the university-community interaction experience led by UNAD in the district of El Encano (Pasto, Colombia), aimed at strengthening agribusinesses through generative AI tools. Under a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, the Metaplan methodology was applied with a focal group of 45 entrepreneurs and 3 community leaders, allowing the prioritization of critical factors for technological adoption through 225 votes. The results are structured into a digital appropriation pyramid for agro-industry, presenting the factors prioritized by the community, derived from AI generation for fundamental corporate image elements for agribusinesses in sectors such as dairy, vegetables, trout, and tourism services. It is concluded that AI acts as a bridge for competitiveness which, under institutional support and contextualized literacy, allows rural producers to strengthen their technological competencies without sacrificing territorial identity.
