Mexico Faces Significant Gaps in AI Readiness: Salesforce

Salesforce’s new Global AI Readiness Index places Mexico, Brazil and Argentina well below global benchmarks in their capacity to adopt and scale agentic artificial intelligence, highlighting structural gaps that could slow regional competitiveness. The findings point to low adoption, fragile regulatory foundations, limited innovation capacity and persistent talent shortages.

The index evaluates 16 global markets using 31 indicators across digital infrastructure, regulatory maturity, adoption levels, innovation, investment and workforce readiness. While the global average score reached 22.1, Mexico scored 15.3, Brazil 18.0 and Argentina 14.1. The United States led the ranking with 39.7.

Mexico’s performance reflects the broader regional picture. Regulatory frameworks scored near the global midpoint, with Mexico at 8.3, but gaps appear in institutional capacity and effective implementation. Adoption remains the most pressing challenge. Mexico’s 3.3 score in diffusion and use of AI by government and the private sector falls far below the global average of 5.8, suggesting difficulties in turning national strategies into applied use cases.

“AI is a global technology whose infrastructure often lies outside Mexico. Consequently, it is important to align national standards with international partners to leverage trade agreements and strengthen Mexico’s position in the regional AI ecosystem,” says Senator Rolando Zapata, President, Senate’s AI Commission.

Innovation and investment indicators show the largest divergence. Mexico scored 0.2 in innovation and 0.2 in investment, against global averages of 1.7 and 1.4. Weak research ecosystems, scarce funding and limited private-sector participation have slowed progress in areas that drive long-term competitiveness. 

"Creating a robust infrastructure to manage and facilitate AI is crucial for driving innovation while ensuring compliance and ethical use," said Alejandro Robles Gou, Senior Regional Sales Director Mexico, Broadcom.

Workforce readiness also remains limited, with a 2.9 score compared with 4.5 globally. According to Salesforce, insufficient applied AI training and limited reskilling pipelines are key constraints. A report by Page Group and WeWork indicates a strong demand for AI training among Mexican employees, with 90% expressing a desire to improve their skills in this area.

This gap reflects an opportunity Mexico is at risk of missing, as organizations that succeed in scaling AI talent will not only optimize costs but also develop new revenue streams, deliver more personalized services and accelerate innovation cycles from months to days, writes Julio Velázquez, Managing Director, Google Cloud.

Alejandro Anderlic, Director of Government and External Affairs for Latin America, Salesforce, said the region’s potential is significant but hindered by slow adoption, low investment and a wide skills gap. He called for collaboration across government, business, academia and civil society to build an environment where AI can contribute to economic and social development.

The report outlines areas where such coordination could accelerate progress. Recommendations include expanding the integration of AI agents into public-sector digital transformation, updating procurement frameworks and prioritizing use cases that reduce administrative bottlenecks. It also proposes advancing interoperable governance frameworks, strengthening technical and nontechnical training, supporting SMEs through incentives and innovation centers, and promoting sector-specific governance models