Between innovation and risk: artificial intelligence and data protection in digital Mexico

At a global level, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) brings significant risks to data privacy, prompting the development of legal frameworks. In Latin America, including Mexico, where such frameworks remain emergent, the issue gains particular relevance. This study analyzed how perceptions of AI are associated with perceptions of personal data protection among university-educated professionals residing in Mexico City in 2025, based on privacy theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and their extensions. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional approach was employed. Data were collected from 101 university-educated professional participants residing in Mexico City using an expert-validated, 24-item Likert-type questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS using non-parametric correlation tests (Spearman and Kendall). Results indicated that a more favorable perception of AI was associated with more favorable perceptions of personal data protection and its dimensions. The correlations demonstrated a moderate and significant positive association (p < 0.001) between perceptions of AI and overall perceptions of data protection. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were found across each evaluated dimension, thus confirming the four specific hypotheses. From a theoretical perspective, the findings suggest that contextual factors modulate the AI-privacy relationship, contributing a Latin American perspective to the literature. On a practical and social level, recommendations aligned with SDG 16 include strengthening institutional frameworks (regulation, transparency, digital education), fostering public-private collaboration, and promoting digital oversight and literacy to achieve informed trust.