Mexico advances AI draft bills

Mexico’s Senate is working on a draft bill to regulate and promote the use of artificial intelligence, while the Chamber of Deputies reviews five federal or general bills on the topic. Available information does not confirm that any of those proposals has been approved or enacted.

What does the Senate draft propose?

The Senate draft, as outlined by Senator Rolando Zapata Bello during a discussion panel at UNAM’s Institute for Legal Research, is grounded in principles and foresees participation from the public, private, social and academic sectors. It also seeks to have the state issue a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

Zapata Bello also said the future rule should distinguish between high-risk systems and systems subject to self-regulation. In his view, the legislative model should avoid excessive permitting and instead rely on a binary assessment based on risk levels.

What other projects are under discussion?

Beyond the Senate draft, there are at least four other legislative initiatives on artificial intelligence in the Chamber of Deputies, and one media tally identified 67 AI-related proposals introduced since 2023 that are still pending. That broader set includes constitutional reforms, general laws and amendments to existing rules.

Among those proposals is the bill introduced by federal deputy José Alejandro Aguilar López of the Labor Party, under the name Federal Law on Ethical Artificial Intelligence, Technological Coordination and Protection Against Automated Disinformation. According to Grupo Animal’s coverage, the proposal was referred to the Budget and Public Accounts Committee.

That initiative would add obligations on training-data traceability, human oversight and cybersecurity protocols. The focus is on automated disinformation, protection against false content and control over how these systems are trained and operated.

What overlaps appear across the different texts?

The coverage agrees that Mexico’s legislative discussion on AI is moving forward, but still without a confirmed comprehensive federal law. It also points to a common thread around cybersecurity, traceability and the need for a national strategy.

Zapata Bello also backed self-regulation for certain systems and support for small and medium-size businesses facing cybersecurity risks. At the same time, El Economista reported that the Senate was working on a draft and that the Chamber of Deputies was reviewing five initiatives, although it did not confirm an approved text.

During the same period, Excélsior reported on a separate reform pushed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, which that outlet interpreted as potentially forcing internet providers to remove certain copyrighted materials immediately, with fines of up to 4.6 million pesos. Xataka México later clarified that the reform does not specifically mention memes or state that all AI-generated content must be removed automatically, and it does not by itself make AI use illegal.