Most Mexican Enterprises Plan Boost AI Investment in 2025: IBM

Sixty-nine percent of enterprises in Mexico plan to increase their AI investments during 2025, with 89% of IT decision makers reporting advances in their AI strategies and 45% prioritizing open source solutions to optimize costs, report IBM and Lopez Research.

"Enterprises are prioritizing metrics such as productivity, as traditional dollar ROI is not yet reflected on balance sheets. However, they are moving quickly in AI, optimizing specific use cases and combining hybrid cloud and open source to drive innovation," writes Maribel Lopez, Analyst, Lopez Research, in a press release.

The study, conducted by Morning Consult in collaboration with Lopez Research, and published by IBM as ROI of AI, surveyed 2,413 IT leaders in 12 countries, including Mexico. The findings, according to IBM, reflect a maturation in AI adoption, with companies moving beyond the experimental phase to focus on AI scalability and profitability.

Factors Behind the Growth

According to the report, the growth in AI adoption in Mexico is driven by three main factors. First, the demand for operational efficiency has led 50% of Mexican companies to make significant investments in data management and product innovation, seeking to optimize processes and improve their competitiveness.

Secondly, open source has established itself as a strategic advantage. Sixty-five percent of organizations in Mexico already use AI tools based on this model, exceeding the global average of 60%. Companies that adopt open source report a return on investment (ROI) of 51%, compared to 41% of those that do not, reads the report.

Finally, financial flexibility sets the Mexican market apart, where only 3% of companies plan to reduce spending on AI, in contrast to 11% globally, reflecting a sustained commitment to digital transformation.

"Mexican companies can leverage AI to grow in an agile economic environment where it is necessary to move at the speed of the market to get the best out of it," writes Mauricio Torres, General Manager, IBM Mexico, in a press release.

Strategic Investments

According to the report, companies in Mexico are channeling their resources into key areas to maximize the impact of AI. Half of respondents say they prioritize data quality and product innovation, while 40% focus their funds on modernizing IT operations.

In parallel, hiring specialized talent emerges as a priority, with 54% of organizations planning to recruit AI experts. In addition, 47% will opt for managed cloud services, suggesting a preference for scalable solutions that reduce internal operational burden.

Open source continues to gain traction as a pillar of AI strategies. Globally, 41% of enterprises are expected to increase their reliance on open source solutions by 2025, up from 37% in 2024. In Mexico, this trend is even more pronounced, with 65% of organizations already relying on these tools. Large enterprises-those with more than 1,000 employees-are 2.5 times more likely to base at least 50% of their AI solutions on open source, underscoring its critical role in environments that demand scalability and adaptability.

Nontraditional ROI and Challenges

Metrics for evaluating the success of AI are also evolving. Only 11% of companies measure ROI exclusively in terms of direct monetary savings, while 27% prioritize innovation acceleration as a key indicator. The study reports that 86% of organizations are confident of achieving a positive ROI within three years, although 38% expect to see tangible results in a shorter timeframe. This approach reflects a maturing understanding that the benefits of AI transcend the financial, encompassing gains in agility and competitive capability.

Despite the progress, obstacles remain that could slow AI maturity. While 67% of Mexican companies manage to bring pilot projects into production in less than a year, 34% have yet to break even on their ROI, indicating gaps in effective implementation.

Another challenge is the growing dependence on external providers: 45% of global companies that do not yet use open source plan to adopt it by 2025, which could intensify competition for specialized talent and technological resources, putting pressure on costs and implementation times.