The article reports that Nicolai Tangen, chief executive of the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) — the world’s largest sovereign-wealth fund — has warned that unequal access to artificial intelligence could lead to vast societal divisions. According to him, the risk is not just economic but structural: if advanced tech remains concentrated in the hands of a few states or companies, entire populations may be left behind.
Tangen argues that AI’s benefits—higher productivity, better services, and new capabilities—may intensify disparities unless policy and investment are managed carefully. He points out that poor countries or underserved regions might lack the infrastructure, capital, or talent required to compete, and as a result could fall further behind in the global economic race.
Importantly, he suggests that the AI era must be tackled with the same seriousness as major industrial revolutions in the past, noting that the current phase could “split societies” if left unchecked. He calls for global co-ordination — among governments, corporations, international institutions — to ensure AI becomes an inclusive force rather than a polarising one.
In the end, the message is clear: the promise of AI is vast, but so are the risks if access and reward are unevenly distributed. The article serves as a call to action for policymakers and investors to prioritise fairness, capability-building, and infrastructure deployment if AI is to support broad prosperity rather than deepen fissures.
