Jessica Peña, director of México IA+2.0, calculated on August 15 that artificial intelligence could contribute $73.5 billion to Mexico's economy by 2029, the equivalent of 5.2% of GDP, according to Proceso. The figure raises the question of whether Mexico has the infrastructure to capture that opportunity.
The México IA+2.0 group, driven by Cipre Holding laboratory with support from technology giant Nvidia, identifies three competitive advantages for the country: its geopolitical position, which places it less than 20 milliseconds from the main interconnection nodes in the United States; operating costs more competitive than in Western Europe; and logistical integration with the North American market. The contrast lies in actual adoption: according to El Universal Techbit, AI use among Mexican companies rose from 38% to 48% over the past year, covering more than 2.5 million companies, but 63% use it in a basic way with public chatbots, and only 13% use it in an advanced manner.
To close that gap, México IA+2.0 proposes a national strategy built on three pillars: digital sovereignty, specialized talent development, and a regulatory framework that incentivizes innovation and investment. At the forum's inaugural edition last year, the platform convened more than 9,800 participants and awarded 250 AI training scholarships, including ones for public officials. The diagnosis is grounded in infrastructure data: Mexico has 50 data centers and none hosts large-scale AI models, while Querétaro concentrates 65% of the country's installed capacity, with a market projection of 480 megawatts by 2029 and investments exceeding $13 billion. On the talent side, an AWS study presented at the Summit Mexico City found that 46% of companies report a shortage of digital and AI competencies.
The next step is to move from data centers to AI factories, facilities designed to manufacture intelligence at scale that do not yet exist in Mexico. The forum's second edition, on November 4 and 5 at Expo Santa Fe, will be the next opportunity to gauge whether the gap is narrowing.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.