AI’s ‘opportunity divide’ could deepen global inequality, UN official warns
The deputy secretary-general of UN's ICT agency says unequal access to AI means poorer nations may be left behind.
Doha, Qatar – Artificial intelligence (AI) risks widening the gap between rich and poor countries, potentially deepening existing social and economic inequalities, a senior United Nations official has warned.
Developing countries face significant barriers to benefitting from the AI revolution, Tomas Lamanauskas, the deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency focused on information and communication technologies, told Al Jazeera.
“There is a risk … I think the AI divide is really the big concern because it’s really not just about the digital divide,” Lamanauskas said on the sidelines of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Forum in Doha, Qatar on Sunday.
However, he warned that even if there is a “net positive impact”, many people will personally experience disruption, as an estimated 40 percent of workplace skills could change by 2030.