The report, titled 'The Next Great Divergence: Why AI May Widen Inequality Between Countries', outlines the potential risks posed by AI technologies in deepening the already widening development gaps.
While AI offers vast opportunities for growth, particularly in sectors like health, finance, and education, its benefits are not likely to be evenly distributed.
Countries starting from different levels of technological and economic development will experience very different outcomes.
The Asia and Pacific region, which is home to more than half the world's population, has been quick to adopt AI.
According to the report, over half of the world's AI-related startups and innovations are now based in this region, with AI potentially boosting GDP by up to 2% per year in some countries.
The technology also has the potential to improve productivity across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and public services.
However, the UNDP cautions that unequal access to AI-related technologies and digital infrastructure could deepen divides, especially if low-income countries do not have access to the resources necessary to adopt AI. This could result in a 'two-speed' world, where wealthy nations thrive on AI while developing nations are left behind.
The report highlights the vulnerabilities that accompany AI adoption, particularly job displacement. Many routine and manual jobs, especially those held by women and youth in developing countries are at risk of being replaced by automation.
Without proper policies to address this, millions of workers could lose their livelihoods. Women, who are often employed in routine service jobs such as caregiving, retail, and hospitality, could be disproportionately impacted.
The rise of AI also introduces new risks around ethical concerns. AI systems that rely on biased data could perpetuate existing inequalities or even create new forms of discrimination. The lack of transparency in AI algorithms could lead to situations where certain groups are unfairly excluded from services, opportunities, or decision-making processes.
To avoid these outcomes, the UNDP emphasizes that inclusive, people-centered policies are essential. Governments must invest in education and skills training to equip workers with the tools they need to thrive in an AI-driven economy. Additionally, fostering international cooperation and collaboration will be critical to ensuring that AI benefits are shared globally.
The UNDP calls for ethical AI governance frameworks that are aligned with human development goals. This includes ensuring that AI systems are designed and implemented with fairness, accountability, and transparency at their core. The report also stresses the importance of strengthening global cooperation to ensure that the deployment of AI is equitable, focusing on addressing the digital divide and empowering countries with the means to compete in the AI space.
The global impact of AI is still unfolding, but the UNDP's report provides a crucial warning: without deliberate actions to ensure inclusivity, the world risks entering a new era of development divergence, where inequality is amplified by the very technology that should be used to solve it.
With smart policies, investments in technology, and global collaboration, AI could transform global development for the better. But without proper oversight and inclusive frameworks, the technology could reinforce and even worsen global inequalities.
Rania Umutoni
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/undp-report-warns-ai-could-deepen-global-development-disparities
