The Silent Revolution: How Generative Artificial Intelligence is redefining Higher Education in Mexico

Artificial Generative Intelligence (IAG) has stopped being a promise of the future and has become the main engine of classrooms in Mexico. According to the most recent survey by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP), the impact is massive: 80% of university students already use these tools to write texts and improve their academic performance.

This phenomenon, revealed in the ““National Survey on Uses and Perceptions of Generative AI in Higher Education”marks a point of no return in the national educational system.

KEY FIGURES: HOW ARE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS USING AI?

The study, considered the largest of its kind in the world with 1.27 million responses, provides data that is transforming the vision of the SEP:

• Content production: 8 out of 10 students create texts with AI, while 5 out of 10 use it to generate images.
• Everyday adoption: More than 60% of the university community (students and teachers) use AI in their daily lives.
• Academic improvement: 7 out of 10 users claim that their grades and performance have improved thanks to these tools.
• Creative potential: 82% affirm that AI helps complex thought processes, and teachers see it as an ally for reflection and creation.

THE “DIGITAL PSYCHOLOGIST”: A SURPRISING FACT

Beyond essays and graphs, AI is occupying an unexpected space: mental health.

The head of the SEP, Mario Delgado Carrillo, highlighted that tools like ChatGPT have become the “great psychologist of our times.” The data supports it: 9% of students turn to AI to receive advice on anxiety, stress or depression, which opens a new debate about emotional support in the digital age.

THE CHALLENGE: REGULATIONS AND LACK OF CLEAR RULES

Despite massive use, there is an important legal loophole. 76% of teachers in public universities admit that there is no institutional regulation that regulates the use of AI. Given this, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Ricardo Villanueva Lomelí, emphasizes that AI is not a threat, but a reality that requires:

1. New evaluation models: It is no longer enough to rate the final result, but rather the process.
2. Clear guidelines: It is urgent to establish ethical rules for the use of IAG.
3. Teacher training: Train teachers so that they are not left behind in the face of technology.

WHERE IS EDUCATION GOING IN MEXICO?

The SEP proposal not only seeks to regulate, but to balance. It is planned to strengthen the humanities and social sciences so that technological advances do not overshadow human critical thinking. In addition, we seek to reduce the digital divide so that no student is left out of this revolution.

The emergence of AI in Mexico not only changes the way of doing homework; is redefining what it means to learn in 2026.