Digital Awakening. The Revolution That Could Reshape Mexico—or Leave It Behind

By Víctor Jesús Hernández Salinas. Editorial adaptation for interAlcaldes with a focus on local governments, competitiveness, and Mexico’s economic relationship with its trading partners across five continents. Based on the author’s original text.

The central argument presented by Víctor Jesús Hernández Salinas is as timely as it is unsettling: the coming decade will not simply introduce new tools, but will fundamentally reshape daily life, work, finance, and education. His warning becomes even more relevant when viewed through the current global context. The IMF projects global growth of 3.3% in 2026, while Mexico is expected to grow by just 1.5%, in an environment of slower momentum, competitive pressure, and accelerated technological change. For municipalities, this means digital transformation is no longer a futuristic concept—it is now a local economic policy priority.

The original article identifies four key drivers of change: artificial intelligence, hyperautomation and robotics, biotechnology and digital health, and advanced cybersecurity. From an interAlcaldes perspective, these technologies are no longer competing solely at the corporate level—they are competing across cities, logistics corridors, and regional production ecosystems. AI is becoming strategic infrastructure for decision-making, production, and public service delivery; robotics is redefining manufacturing and logistics; digital health is expanding prevention and treatment capabilities; and cybersecurity is evolving from a defensive cost into a baseline requirement for institutional trust and investment. The OECD warns that Mexico has significant opportunities in digital transformation but continues to face low technological adoption among firms, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and skills gaps.

On the labor front, Hernández Salinas rightly points out that routine, low-skilled physical jobs and standardized information-processing roles are the most exposed. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2030, the global economy will create 170 million jobs while displacing 92 million, resulting in a net gain—but one that is deeply uneven across sectors, regions, and skill levels. Additionally, 40% of employers expect to reduce workforce size where AI can automate tasks. For Mexico, this is critical: the debate should not focus solely on how many jobs will disappear, but on how quickly industrial, technological, and border municipalities can reskill their workforce.

Recent data reinforces the scale of the economic challenge. Stanford reports that global private investment in generative AI reached $33.9 billion in 2024, an 18.7% increase from 2023, while 78% of organizations reported using AI, up from 55% the previous year. At the same time, U.S.–Mexico trade in goods reached $872.8 billion in 2025; U.S. exports to Mexico grew by 1.2%, while imports from Mexico increased by 5.8%. This matters because it shows that Mexico’s most important economic relationship will increasingly demand higher technological content, traceability, and digital talent. And this dynamic is not limited to North America: pressures from Asian semiconductors, European regulation, Latin American logistics chains, African strategic minerals, and scientific cooperation with Oceania are all part of Mexico’s real economic landscape.

The author also highlights the emergence of new roles in AI, data science, cybersecurity, digital design, sustainability, blockchain, and robotics. This aligns with international evidence. The Inter-American Development Bank reported that 68% of employers in Mexico are struggling to find qualified talent in advanced manufacturing and digital technologies. In other words, the shortage will not be of people—but of relevant capabilities. This is where municipalities, technical universities, industrial clusters, and state governments must act as talent orchestrators, not just infrastructure managers.

In education, Hernández Salinas’ perspective is particularly relevant to public policy. His emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, data literacy, lifelong learning, and curriculum adaptation reflects a broader urgency: if schools, universities, and public training systems do not integrate AI and digital ethics in a meaningful way, Mexico may continue to trade globally without capturing sufficient value. The OECD notes that generative AI is already reshaping education and that its effective use requires clear pedagogical frameworks—not just access, but method, evaluation, and teacher training.

The potential toward 2026 is enormous, but the challenges are equally significant. Mexico must close digital infrastructure gaps, increase technological adoption among SMEs, strengthen cybersecurity in public systems, develop mid- and high-level talent, and transform its relationships with the United States and global partners across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania into platforms for innovation—not just trade. The IMF has consistently emphasized that Mexico’s growth potential depends on closing infrastructure gaps, strengthening the rule of law, and deepening global integration. If that agenda aligns with the author’s vision, the digital awakening could lead to broadly shared prosperity; if not, the technological revolution will widen inequalities between leading and lagging regions.

At interAlcaldes, we want to hear from you: are Mexico’s municipalities prepared to compete in this new digital geography of economic power?

Written by: Víctor Jesús Hernández Salinas

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