Claro Democratizes ChatGPT While Trust in AI Plummets - Why This Paradox Defines the Most Critical Moment for Responsible Adoption in Brazil

The last 24 hours have brought a fascinating paradox: while Claro announces partnership with ChatGPT to democratize AI in Brazil survey by the Locomotiva Institute reveals that Brazilians' trust in artificial intelligence has been plummeting over the last four years.

As someone who has followed the evolution of more than 10,000 startups, I can say that I have rarely seen a technology face both accelerated expansion and growing skepticism. And this isn't just a statistical curiosity - it's a sign that we're at the most critical moment in defining how AI will be responsibly adopted in the country.

Democratization through Telecoms

THE partnership between Claro and OpenAI represents much more than a commercial agreement. It's recognition that telecoms have become the true democratizers of technology in Brazil - something I've witnessed in various digital inclusion initiatives over the years.

The numbers are impressive: Brazil is already one of ChatGPT's largest markets globally, with 140 million daily messages. Use is concentrated in writing and communication (20%), learning and training (15%) and programming (6%). This shows that Brazilians aren't just “playing” with AI - they're using it for work and professional development.

Claro's initiative to offer four free months of ChatGPT Plus to new post-paid customers is not just a commercial strategy. É informal public policy, This is a great way to increase access to tools that cost US$ 20 per month and can revolutionize the productivity of millions of Brazilians.

Why trust is plummeting

But here's the paradox: despite increasing use, 82% of Brazilians have used generative AI personally and 57% at work, but confidence has been falling consistently since 2021 in practically all the sectors assessed.

The data is revealing:

• Autonomous vehicles: only 51% are favorable
• News recommendation: approval fell from 73% in 2021 to 57%
• Telephone answering and medical treatments: all areas registered falls above the margin of error

Renato Meirelles, from the Locomotiva Institute, has captured the dilemma well: AI has transformative potential, but carries significant risks of misinformation and bias. This is precisely why the Instituto Inteligência Artificial de Verdade classifies the technology as “artificial truth” (positive uses) versus “artificial lies” (scams and fake news).

The Real Dangers that Fuel Skepticism

Skepticism is not unfounded. AI-generated videos are fueling political polarization, and creating deepfakes that reinforce stereotypes and spread hatred. Veo 3 technology facilitates the rapid creation of manipulative content that can influence elections and further fragment our society.

Even more serious: the case of teenager Adam Raine, who committed suicide after thousands of conversations with ChatGPT, raises fundamental questions about the limits of AI in therapeutic contexts. When technology replaces human connections in moments of vulnerability, we are treading on dangerous ground.

The Answer Comes from Governance, Not Resistance

But here's where my experience with startups teaches me something important: the solution lies not in resistance to technology, but in building responsible governance.

I see promising signs in this direction. Anatel wants to position itself as an AI regulatory agency - an initiative that could provide the legal clarity that companies and users need to adopt the technology safely.

Even more significant: the government announces investment of R$ 23 billion by 2028 in the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan, focused on an inclusive, sovereign and ethical approach. As Minister Esther Dweck pointed out, the aim is for AI to expand human freedoms, not deepen inequalities.

The New Business Paradigm

For entrepreneurs and business leaders, the changes have already begun irreversibly. People are replacing Google searches with direct questions to AIs, completely changing the game of digital marketing.

The dispute is no longer about clicks, but about recommendations made by the IAs. This means that authority, reputation and consistency online are becoming even more essential. The model based on paid ads and “pretty” profiles is becoming obsolete - now we need useful content and a consolidated digital presence.

In B2B, AI is already revolutionizing prospecting and sales, In Europe, sales leaders report significant returns in the first year of adoption. In Europe, sales leaders report significant returns in the first year of adoption.

Practical Lessons for Responsible Navigation

THE survey of professional librarians brought valuable insights into how to use AI more effectively:

• Use Google's AI mode: won the tests for his reasoning and multiple researches
• Be very specific: provide context, examples and time limits
• Know your blind spots: lag in recent events, difficulty with visual elements
• Check the quotes: IAs can present wrong or irrelevant links
• Compare answers: use different tools to reduce errors

These are not just “tricks” - they are principles of digital literacy that we need to teach at scale.

Creativity is still human

While we discuss governance and risks, Google launches the Nano Banana, This tool maintains the visual consistency of characters across multiple images - a crucial advance for visual narratives such as comics and advertising.

This raises a fundamental question: is AI democratizing breeding or replacing breeders? In my experience with startups, the answer is “both” - and it's up to us to decide which one prevails.

The Moment to Define the Future

We are living through a unique moment in the history of technology. Never has an innovation spread so quickly (140 million daily messages in Brazil alone) while simultaneously generating so much justified skepticism.

The Claro-ChatGPT partnership can be seen as democratization or as premature exposure of millions of users to a technology that is still under development. The fall in trust can be seen as collective wisdom or as resistance to the inevitable.

The truth is both perspectives are valid - and that's exactly why we need balanced approaches that promote digital inclusion without ignoring real risks.

Preparing Leaders for the Age of Responsible AI

As someone who has been following technological transformations for more than 25 years, I see that we are at the most critical moment to train leaders capable of navigating this paradox. It's not enough to have access to technology - we need skills for responsible use.

This includes everything from technical prompt engineering skills to ethical competencies to identify when AI is appropriate or not. It includes understanding both the possibilities of automation and the limits of human substitution.

In my mentoring work, I see entrepreneurs facing exactly this dilemma: how to harness the transformative potential of AI without losing the human essence that differentiates their businesses? The answer lies not in choosing between technology and humanity, but in finding intelligent syntheses.

Brazil has a unique opportunity to lead the responsible adoption of AI globally. With robust government investment, a regulatory framework under construction and an increasingly mature innovation ecosystem, we can be a world reference in how to democratize transformative technology without sacrificing fundamental human values.

After all, as I learned accelerating thousands of startups: the best innovations don't replace humanity - they amplify it.