Mexico’s AI Ambitions Require Stronger Data Maturity

Companies in Mexico face a critical gap between their intent to invest in data and its effective execution, a disconnect that limits measurable economic impact. Although 69% of enterprises in Mexico plan to increase their investment in AI during 2025, the country's overall digital maturity stands at only 41.7%, amid macroeconomic growth of just 1.2% annually.

The disparity between strategic ambition and operational capability stems from organizational challenges that transcend technology acquisition. The central problem is the absence of a comprehensive transformation vision and the ability to implement it.

"AI is driving the evolution of roles and the transformation of processes in companies. By providing speed and agility, it allows people to develop high-value functions for the business; however, few organizations are reaching this point. In general, a true vision of transformation is lacking," says  Juan Solana, Lead Partner of Business Transformation and Innovation Consulting, EY Latin America.

The fundamental challenge, says Solana, is not technological but one of leadership and organizational redesign. The ability to convert data into value depends directly on redesigning processes, reskilling human capital, and aligning digital strategy with core business objectives.

Economic Imperative for a Data-Driven Transformation

Mexico's macroeconomic environment presents a compelling case for the accelerated adoption of data-driven strategies. An annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 1.2% in 2Q25 and only three states exceeding the 4.5% growth target show a stagnation that traditional business models struggle to overcome.

A contraction of 0.7% in secondary activities, which include the manufacturing sector responsible for 21.7% of the national GDP, is another warning sign. In this scenario, advanced analytics and AI emerge as strategic tools for corporate resilience. Facing uncertainties such as potential tariffs from key trading partners and internal regulatory changes, the ability to optimize supply chains and anticipate market shifts could make a large difference.

Projections indicate that generative AI alone could contribute up to 6.2% of Mexico's national GDP. This figure positions digital transformation as an economic imperative, enabling a move from a manufacturing hub to a center for higher value-added activities.

The State of Digital Maturity

The 2025 Digital Maturity Report (IMD), driven by entities including Needed Education, EY, KIO, and AmCham/Mexico, reveals a marked dissonance between investment intent and execution capability. The digital maturity index for Mexican companies is 41.7%, significantly below the 70% level considered optimal for global competition.

The report's most telling statistic is that only 1% of companies have achieved "AI maturity." This figure contrasts sharply with the 92% that plan to increase AI investment by 2026. This phenomenon can be described as an "investment-execution paradox," where capital is allocated but does not translate into a proportional increase in organizational capacity.

Mexico has a robust infrastructure base for the data economy. The country saw a 238% growth in its edge data center rate between 2022 and 2023 and has high 5G technology penetration. This is complemented by an ecosystem of 97 million internet users, according to the 2024 National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH).

This national picture, however, masks significant regional disparities. The same ENDUTIH survey shows that while 91.3% of the population in Sonora uses the internet, the figure drops to 64.9% in Chiapas. This gap limits the reach of digital strategies and skews data collection. The primary challenge has shifted from data availability to data utility.

Core Obstacles and Tangible Value

Despite sound infrastructure and clear investment intent, the transition is hindered by structural, human, and strategic obstacles.

• Talent Deficit: There is a critical shortage of professionals, with up to 70% of companies reporting difficulty hiring AI specialists and demand tripling compared to the rest of Latin America. This is related to the country's low R&D investment (0.28% of GDP versus the OECD average of 2.72%).

• Governance Vacuum: Mexico lacks a unified national AI strategy, which creates uncertainty for long-term investment. The country's low score of 2.8 out of 100 on the "Institutional" pillar of the Government AI Readiness Index is a quantitative indicator of this challenge.

• Data Quality: Organizations face difficulties with integrating diverse sources, managing large volumes, and lacking a robust data governance framework.

• Leadership and Cultural Gap: Digital transformation requires a change in mindset driven from the top. Without a clear C-suite vision, data initiatives remain isolated in technological silos.

Despite the challenges, the application of data strategies is already generating quantifiable value in key sectors. In manufacturing, predictive maintenance and supply chain optimization have resulted in a 10% improvement in production efficiency and a 20%–30% reduction in unplanned downtime since 2023, with estimated annual savings of US$300,000 per plant. 

In retail, data has empowered sales forces and enhanced customer experience. Grupo Bimbo transformed its commercial division with the Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics platform, empowering its sales force with real-time data. FEMSA, through OXXO, uses Salesforce Marketing Cloud to personalize the customer experience with predictive models. 

Data has also found numerous applications within the financial sector. For example, Banorte analyzes the transactional behavior of over 13 million customers for risk assessment, fraud detection, and personalized offers, improving both profitability and risk management.

The Path Forward: From Strategy to Economic Reality

To close the gap between strategy and economic reality, concerted action is required on three fronts. The first is public policy, as the development of a national AI and data strategy is necessary to provide certainty for investment and to coordinate human capital development. The second is corporate strategy, as C-suite leadership must actively drive a cultural shift toward a data-first mindset, where decisions are evidence-based and KPIs are linked to data initiatives. 

Finally, a massive collaborative investment in human capital among government, academia, and the private sector is required to develop the specialized talent the market demands. Companies that successfully integrate these analytical capabilities are expected to not only lead their industries, but will also become the primary architects of Mexico's future economic competitiveness.

Interested in staying ahead in the data-driven landscape? The Mexico AI, Cloud, and Data Summit 2025, to be held on Oct. 21, will offer exclusive insights from leading industry experts and government officials on the key trends, risks, and opportunities fueling Mexico’s emergence as a data and AI powerhouse. Discover how data-driven supply chain innovations, workforce development, and sustainability strategies can strengthen your competitive edge: https://mexicobusiness.events/ai/2025/10