AI’s ‘opportunity divide’ could deepen global inequality, UN official warns

AI’s ‘opportunity divide’ could deepen global inequality, UN official warns

A senior United Nations official is warning that artificial intelligence could widen the gap between rich and poor countries and deepen existing inequalities. Tomas Lamanauskas, deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, spoke on the sidelines of the UN trade and development forum in Doha. He said Africa and Latin America together hold just 3.3 percent of global data centre capacity, while 2.2 billion people worldwide still lack internet access. The UN Development Programme has separately cautioned that AI could reverse decades of progress in narrowing economic disparities between nations. Lamanauskas said closing the digital infrastructure gap would require an estimated 2.8 trillion dollars in investment by 2030. He also noted that 29 percent of working-age people in developed countries use generative AI, compared with 16 percent in developing nations. The official called for greater investment in infrastructure, education and regulation so developing countries can help shape the technology and share its benefits.