The Rise of AI in Mexican Classrooms
Raise your hand if you despised mathematics as a student. Well, that might change thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI). In Mexico, where the PLANEA test shows only 16% of secondary students reach a satisfactory level in mathematics, AI-based educational tools are being introduced to tackle this issue.
ALEKS: A Personalized Learning Platform
One popular proposal is ALEKS, an AI platform specializing in mathematics developed by McGraw-Hill. This educational tool assesses a student’s genuine knowledge and tailors a personalized learning plan with customized exercises and lessons.
According to data collected by Deep Seek AI, in 2023, Mexico’s Secretariat of Education Publication (SEP) launched a pilot program with ALEKS in 100 public schools across Nuevo León, Jalisco, and CDMX, involving 5,000 students. Although it has been tested in several private schools around the country, no official information is available. Promising results? Students using ALEKS for at least three hours a week show a 15% improvement in mathematics performance.
Key Questions and Answers
- Is this the future of education? AI is already more intelligent than many of us, capable of generating text, solving algebra problems, and summarizing books in a fraction of the time. The question is no longer if AI can help us, but who can access this assistance and for what purpose.
- What other AI initiatives are underway? Various institutions in Mexico are exploring AI in education, including:
- The Tec de Monterrey’s “IA for Education” project, developing chatbots and intelligent tutors.
- “Watson in Education” by IBM and Anahuac University, analyzing data to reduce school dropout rates and improve curriculum plans.
- Profuturo’s AI platform, suggesting educational plans based on group progress in rural schools across Latin America, potentially working in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.
- What are the challenges? Despite these promising initiatives, a harsh reality remains: not everyone has access. A study by the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) revealed that only 40% of their students have genuine access to AI tools due to insufficient technological infrastructure.
- What about misuse of AI in education? Concerns are growing over the misuse of AI in educational tasks. In 2023, UNAM issued a statement warning about ChatGPT’s use and calling for its regulation. The University of Veracruzana’s Humanities faculty has even banned AI-generated assignments, considering them detrimental to critical thinking development.
The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Education
While these initiatives sound promising, they also reflect a painful reality: not everyone can access them. Only 37.3% of Mexico’s over 154,000 basic and upper-secondary schools have internet for educational purposes, as per the National Indicators Report on the Continuous Improvement of Education (2023).
What will happen to students who cannot join these projects? How do we bridge this gap without creating another?
Moreover, many AI-based educational programs are led by multinational corporations, raising concerns about dependence on external funding.
Can AI-Empowered Youth Save the Future?
It would be wonderful to hear in a couple of years about a student who fell in love with mathematics thanks to an AI program like ALEKS. Perhaps the next generation of great Mexican scientists is being trained today by AI.
However, we must consider the thousands of Mexicans who will never have access to these programs. While AI is a powerful ally in education, it could also become another form of exclusion…
