The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) allegedly threatens to widen the economic chasm between wealthy and developing nations, potentially exacerbating deep-seated social disparities. Tomas Lamanauskas, the deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), supposedly stated during recent high-level meetings that the unfolding technological shift extends far beyond a conventional digital divide.

According to statements from the UN official, the disparity in AI adoption risks converting into a permanent opportunity gap. Discrepancies are already starkly visible in digital infrastructure, with Africa and Latin America reportedly accounting for a mere 3.3 percent of global data centre capacity, while roughly 2.2 billion people worldwide remain entirely offline. Critics and international bodies suggest that bridging this infrastructure gap could demand up to $2.8 trillion in investments by the end of the decade.

The uneven distribution of technological integration is further highlighted by usage rates: while approximately 29 percent of the working-age population in advanced economies utilizes generative AI, that figure purportedly plunges to just 16 percent in developing regions. Such imbalances allegedly undermine workforce productivity and restrict future economic participation, feeding broader anxieties regarding displacement in the global labor market.

Although international observers voice concerns over potential job losses and the erosion of living standards, officials maintain that halting the march of AI is supposedly no longer feasible. Instead, proponents of continued technological integration argue that governments must heavily invest in infrastructure and education to manage the disruptions projected to reshape nearly half of all workplace skills by 2030.

Source: www.aljazeera.com