A UN report warns that AI could increase the gap between developed and developing nations

Artificial intelligence may widen social and economic gaps between rich and poor countries, according to a UN research.

Artificial intelligence (AI) might widen the divide between developed and developing countries, according to a United Nations research that urged immediate legislative action to lessen its effects.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) issued the research on Tuesday, warning of a possible “great divergence” in governance systems, skills, and economic performance among nations.

At a press conference in Geneva, Philip Schellekens, Chief Economist for UNDP’s Asia Pacific Regional Bureau, stated, “We believe that AI is heralding a new era of rising inequality between countries, following years of convergence in the last 50 years.”

The paper, titled The Next Great Divergence: Why AI May Widen Inequality Between Countries, points out that in recent decades, worldwide disparities in income, health, and education have decreased thanks to trade, technology, and progress. But as AI adoption picks up speed, these advantages now run the risk of being undermined, thereby leaving less developed countries behind.

Schellekens noted that the repercussions could reach beyond economics. He emphasized the wide-ranging societal hazards of unequal AI integration by saying, “If inequality continues to rise, the spillover effects in terms of security, and undocumented forms of migration, will also become more daunting.”

The UNDP calls on governments and international organizations to put laws into place that guarantee the advantages of AI are distributed fairly and that weaker nations receive assistance in building the infrastructure, governance frameworks, and skill sets necessary to stay up with technological advancements.