Artificial Intelligence & Izamal

In 2024, I had the honor and privilege to discuss the topic of Compliance in the Digital Age as part of the International High Specialty Diploma in Ethics, Integrity, Compliance, and Bioethics in Health Care.

To illustrate the opportunities and risks Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents for physicians, I introduced a discussion case centered on a fictitious character, Dr. Sofía Hernández. A graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, Dr. Hernández began her career in Yucatán, running a small clinic in Izamal while traveling through rural areas to attend to her patients.

Having previously visited Yucatán, I drew on my experiences to create this case, including the generation of AI-prompted images. For a first time, now I had the chance to visit directly the “Yellow City” Izamal. It was an opportunity to compare the atomic reality with the virtual one of my earlier discussion case. For example, as highlighted in the presentation, Yucatec Maya remains an active written and spoken language.

Experiencing this beautiful place, slightly off the beaten tourist path, reminded me how AI has grown sophisticated enough to support decision-making. Yet, it cannot replace human expertise, as ethical and legal responsibility remains firmly in human hands.

AI must be built on a foundation of robust human decisions and processes, much like the Izamal convent was constructed upon the foundations of a Mayan pyramid. At the same time, we must protect unique Mayan architecture for future generations, just as we must preserve humanity’s ability to make critical decisions, ensuring it is neither consciously nor subconsciously replaced by algorithms.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Comply Academy, CETIFAMA and UNAM and their incredible people for giving me the opportunity to engage with such a talented group of students.