The UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) article argues that artificial intelligence could significantly reshape economic and human development, but the benefits of AI are unlikely to be distributed evenly without deliberate action. Developing countries in the Global South face the risk of falling further behind because they often have weaker digital infrastructure, limited computing capacity, smaller pools of specialised talent and less access to investment. The issue is therefore not simply whether countries adopt AI, but whether they have the capabilities to participate in creating and benefiting from it.
A central concern is the growing AI divide. Advanced economies control much of the world's computing infrastructure, AI research capacity and leading technology companies, while many developing countries remain dependent on imported technologies and services. This can create a cycle in which countries with fewer resources have less ability to develop local AI applications, build domestic expertise or generate high-quality datasets. UNCTAD therefore emphasizes strengthening digital infrastructure, skills, data ecosystems and access to computing so that developing economies can build their own AI capabilities.
The article also stresses that AI policy should focus on development outcomes rather than technology adoption alone. For the Global South, AI could support areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture, public services and industrial development, but only if solutions are adapted to local languages, institutions and economic conditions. Governments also need policies that encourage innovation while addressing risks involving employment, inequality, privacy, data governance and concentration of technological power.
The broader message is that the AI revolution could either reduce or deepen global inequality. If developing countries have access to infrastructure, skills, financing, data and appropriate governance, AI can become a tool for accelerating development. If those foundations remain concentrated in a small group of wealthy countries and companies, the technology could widen existing economic gaps. UNCTAD's argument is therefore fundamentally about inclusive AI development: ensuring the Global South is not merely a consumer of AI, but has the capacity to shape, build and benefit from it.
