Mexico in 2026: Over 50 AI Bills in Congress, and None Is Law Yet

Fifty-plus AI bills circulating in the Mexican Congress at the same time isn't a sign of consensus — it's a sign that nobody has agreed yet on which one should move forward.

One central proposal, and dozens more around it

In February 2026, Senator Karina Isabel Ruíz Ruíz (Morena) introduced a National Law to Regulate the Use of Artificial Intelligence — the most comprehensive proposal so far, which would create Mexico's first national legal framework for the development, implementation, and use of AI in both the public and private sectors. By April 2026, the committee tracking the issue recognized more than 50 AI-related bills spread across both chambers of Congress.

What did get approved: image and voice rights

While the comprehensive law remains under discussion, the Chamber of Deputies did approve a specific reform on April 7, 2026 (335 votes in favor, 129 abstentions) amending the Federal Labor Law and the Federal Copyright Law to regulate the use of AI in exploiting the image and voice of artists and performers — a targeted, sector-specific advance, not the general law still being debated.

The topics dominating the debate

The proposals in circulation cover broad ground: regulating AI use and banning bots on social media during electoral periods, banning non-consensual sexual deepfakes (with particular focus on minors), and measures against electoral manipulation and lethal AI-based systems operating without human intervention. A technical consensus document was scheduled to be presented on April 22, 2026, but it circulated early, drew criticism on social media, and the presentation was postponed.

The tension with the USMCA

A Mexico-specific angle: the tech industry association (AMITI) warned that a poorly designed new AI law could complicate the USMCA review — a reminder that, unlike the EU or China, any Mexican AI law gets written under the shadow of a trilateral trade treaty with regulatory-harmonization obligations toward the US and Canada.

What it means for companies operating in Mexico

With more than 50 competing bills and none with a clear approval date, the most reasonable strategy for a company operating in Mexico is to treat the current state as definitively transitional — it's worth actively monitoring which proposal gains traction (particularly Senator Ruíz's, as the most comprehensive) rather than committing compliance resources to a specific text that could still change completely before becoming law.