World Bank Warns Developing Countries to Embrace AI or Be Left Behind
The report says 6.8 billion people in developing countries need low-cost AI adapted to local needs, with investments in power, connectivity and skills.
- On Tuesday, the World Bank released a report urging developing countries to adopt localized AI tools, arguing such action could accelerate a century's worth of development in just one decade.
- Developing economies currently face their weakest average growth performance in three decades, with the World Bank labeling recent years a "lost decade" following successive economic shocks.
- World Bank chief economist Indermit Gill stated nations should adapt low-cost AI to local conditions rather than building costly infrastructure, since 83 percent of humanity resides in developing regions.
- Generative AI threatens 14.2% of jobs in rich nations versus 4.5% in low-income countries, though the report warns AI could deepen inequality, erode privacy, and enable political repression.
- Report director Gaurav Nayyar emphasized "the window to get this right is narrow," urging policymakers to prioritize electricity access and public trust to address longstanding development challenges.
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Artificial intelligence could help developing countries achieve progress within a decade that previously took up to a century, according to a World Bank report. However, this requires catching up on access to electricity, the internet, and the necessary skills.
The World Bank urged developing countries to use low-cost AI tools in governance to accelerate growth before it is too late.
AI offers ’lifeline’ for emerging economies, World Bank says
Artificial intelligence (AI) could enable developing countries to gain a century’s worth of development in a decade if they act quickly on power, connectivity and skills gaps, the World Bank said in a report yesterday.Widespread job losses due to AI are also less of a threat to emerging economies, t
World Bank asks developing nations to adopt low-cost AI for public services
The World Bank has urged developing countries to deploy small, low-cost AI tools across essential services. It says quick action on power, connectivity and skills could turn AI into a major productivity boost.
World Bank: AI Offers Lifeline For Developing Economies
The World Bank's "World Development Report 2026" urges developing countries to adopt low-cost AI tools to accelerate progress in healthcare, education, and judicial services. The report highlights AI's potential to boost productivity and improve public services, while noting that jobs in high-income countries are more at risk from automation than those in developing nations.
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