Mexico faces a historic opportunity to boost its productivity and competitiveness through generative artificial intelligence (AI), but it also lags in several key areas that limit its ability to fully capitalize on this technology.
The country ranks 45th worldwide in AI readiness, according to the Ay, Ay, Ay, AI! study, developed by Accenture, IPADE Business School, and Empresas Globales.
Based on interviews with CEOs and board members, as well as a survey of senior executives from 44 domestic and multinational companies representing approximately 3.3% of Mexico’s GDP, the study concludes that the business conversation is no longer about whether AI will matter, but rather how quickly organizations can integrate it into their operations, decision-making, and growth strategies.
According to Accenture Research, if Mexico pursues a people-centered AI strategy, generative AI could transform 42% of the country’s working hours and contribute as much as US$305 billion to GDP by 2038.
However, the report also highlights significant gaps in technological infrastructure, research, the business ecosystem, and regulation—factors that explain Mexico’s current position in the global AI readiness rankings.
“AI adoption is now a strategic imperative”
“The challenge now is for both businesses and the country to develop the organizational, technological, regulatory, and talent capabilities needed to turn that potential into a competitive advantage,” said Rafael Ramírez de Alba, Professor and Director of the Economic Environment Department at IPADE Business School.
Most companies remain in the experimentation phase
The findings show that corporate AI adoption is still at an early stage. Sixty-six percent of the organizations surveyed remain in isolated experiments or structured pilot programs, while only 34.1% report having integrated or scaled AI across their business processes.
In addition, 43.2% are still designing their AI strategy, and only 13.8% say they have incorporated AI into the core of their business model.
According to Guillermo Bernal, CEO of Empresas Globales, having this type of assessment helps identify the key barriers slowing AI adoption and supports the development of a shared agenda among businesses, academia, and industry experts.
Similarly, Armando Díaz, Managing Director of Accenture Mexico, noted that the challenge has evolved beyond experimenting with AI to transforming it into a scalable business capability.
“Companies that succeed in closing this gap will not only improve efficiency—they will redefine their competitive position in a market where digital leadership and business leadership are now one and the same,” he said.
Governance and talent remain the biggest challenges
The study finds that one of the greatest obstacles is no longer access to AI technology itself, but rather organizations’ ability to implement it with discipline and under clear governance frameworks.
Today, only 36.4% of companies have a formal AI governance framework in place, while just over half are still in the process of developing one.
The absence of clear governance also affects trust: 68.2% of organizations report low or moderate levels of confidence in using AI for critical business decisions.
This challenge extends to corporate governance. Only 18% believe their boards of directors have a sufficient understanding of the risks associated with AI.
The human factor presents another major hurdle. Only 31% of companies have implemented formal AI training programs, and just 16% have redesigned job roles or business processes around AI capabilities.
From pilot projects to structural transformation
The study concludes that Mexico still has an opportunity to turn artificial intelligence into a lasting competitive advantage, provided organizations move beyond the experimentation stage and develop the platforms, organizational capabilities, and governance structures needed to scale AI effectively.
The research warns that accumulating disconnected pilot projects without a comprehensive strategy can lead to duplicated efforts, fragmented investments, and lost economic value.
By contrast, organizations that successfully embed AI across their operations, strengthen workforce capabilities, and redesign business processes will be better positioned to capitalize on the next wave of automation and intelligent agents—one that could become a major driver of productivity and economic growth in Mexico by 2038.
Read the full study here: https://adopcionia.ipade.mx/
