Lack of AI Regulation Fuels Crimes

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) use and misuse still on the rise, the need for Mexico to formulate and implement appropriate public policies to regulate this technology has become more imperative. Experts stress that the goal should be to ensure the protection of human rights while promoting the use of AI, given the estimated income it could generate of US$1.7 billion in 2024.

With an increasing number of companies adopting AI solutions, Mexico is projected to experience a surge of US$220 million in investment in AI in 2024, marking a remarkable 400% increase from 2022 figures. However, experts highlight the absence of a comprehensive ethical framework to guide responsible AI use and protect users. "The dissemination of false and misleading information empowered by AI, extreme climate events, social polarization, and cyber insecurity are, in that order, the four most significant risks humanity will face in the next two years," said Sergio Navarro Barrientos, Director of Pre-sales, IQSEC, in an interview with El Financiero.

The primary concern with AI in Mexico lies in the absence of regulation, increasing the risk of crimes and misinformation. Consequently, experts are urging the creation of AI regulations before the end of López Obrador's government. Should AI be inadequately regulated, it may result in a reduction of investments by up to 20%. 

MBN previously reported on AI already being used in Mexico’s presidential race, with experts warning that because Mexico lacks regulation of AI in electoral politics, using this tool poses a risk to the country's democracy. Raúl Trejo Delarbre, Researcher, Institute of Social Research (IIS) of UNAM, states that the current legislation has more than 15 years and, therefore, was designed for traditional media. He also stressed that for the next elections, it is a fact that AI will not be regulated, since any modification to the law must be discussed a year before the elections.

Jimena Moreno, Researcher, CIDE, told Animal Político that it is complicated to have a regulation, even after the elections, due to the economic interests behind it. Another problem is that the development of AI is going faster than the development of laws, which does not allow for up-to-date protection for citizens.

At the moment, there are 31 initiatives aimed at regulating AI. However, 28 of them focus on typifying possible crimes and only two suggest constitutional reforms to effectively regulate all AI. "We are late in regulating Artificial Intelligence; we need at least one serious initiative during this six-year term that is worth discussing on this topic. If we do not do it before this administration ends, we will have to wait until 2025 to start again," warned Pablo Jiménez, Partner, Von Wobeser and Sierra.