GENEVA : The report, released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and titled “The Next Big Gap: Why AI Could Widen the Inequality Gap Between Countries,” highlights the risk of “significant disparities” emerging as countries adapt to, or fall behind, the AI revolution.
Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Philip Shilkins, chief economist at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, said AI is ushering in “a new era of increased inequality between countries, after years of convergence in the past 50 years.”
According to the UNDP, advances in trade, technology and development had previously helped narrow gaps between nations, boosting living standards, education and health outcomes worldwide. But these gains, the report cautions, are now at risk of erosion as countries with limited resources struggle to keep pace with AI adoption, talent development and regulatory systems.
Shilkins warned that the consequences would not be limited to slower economic growth for poorer nations. Wealthier countries, he said, would also feel the repercussions if the global digital divide deepens. “If the disparity continues, its side effects on the security agenda and on forms of undocumented migration will become more difficult,” he added.
The UNDP cautions that AI may deepen the divide between rich and poor nations, threatening gains in living standards, education, and health achieved over the past 50 years. Limited access to AI technology and expertise could slow growth in developing countries, with consequences that may also impact wealthier nations’ stability and security.