The Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy hosted an inaugural event for its new line of research on artificial intelligence (AI) policy and governance earlier this month.
The event, the first in a series on AI and U.S.-Mexico relations titled “The Future(s) of Work,” brought together academics, policymakers and industry leaders from the U.S., Mexico and Latin America to examine the economic and social implications of AI-driven automation and its effects on labor markets in both countries.
“AI is already reshaping industries and labor markets across North America,” said Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and executive director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico. “This symposium marked the first step in a broader conversation on how AI will influence trade, employment and education and how we can foster responsible innovation.”
Discussions throughout the day focused on AI’s role in economic integration, automation in manufacturing and services and opportunities for binational research and regulatory cooperation. Key speakers included experts from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, the Inter-American Development Bank, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico’s Centro-i para la Sociedad del Futuro and the Eon Institute, among others.
Participants emphasized the need for collaboration and trust between the U.S. and Mexico, recognizing that AI-driven changes in the workforce will require policy alignment and joint innovation strategies. Other recommendations included launching new research initiatives on AI’s impact on labor markets in Latin America, expanding cross-border educational exchanges and developing regulatory frameworks that encourage ethical AI deployment.
“AI and automation will not impact all workers in the U.S., Mexico or Latin America in the same way,” said Rodrigo Ferreira, an assistant teaching professor of computer science and faculty scholar at the Baker Institute who is the lead researcher for the group and is spearheading the initiative. “This is why it’s important to think about not just the future but the futures of work and to think of collaborative policymaking across the region.”
The event also underscored the importance of small-group, cross-border collaborations and regulatory experimentation with proposals to establish AI regulatory sandboxes to test governance models.
The symposium concluded with a call to continue the conversation through future workshops and research projects. Payan reaffirmed the center’s commitment to exploring AI’s role in binational relations with plans for further events focused on AI’s impact on education, environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness.
“AI will not just disrupt industries — it will redefine the way we collaborate as nations,” Payan said. “By anticipating these changes now, we can better prepare for the future.”
Other Rice scholars spearheading this initiative include Armando Guio Español, a nonresident scholar at the Center for the U.S. and Mexico and executive director of the Global Network of Internet Centers; Cristina Martínez Pinto, a nonresident scholar at the Center for the U.S. and Mexico and the founder and CEO of the PIT Policy Lab; and César A. Uribe, the Louis Owen Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.