Developing Nations Urged to Leverage AI for Growth

The World Bank has emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence in achieving better governance outcomes in developing countries. According to the World Bank's Chief Economist, Indermit Gill, embracing AI technology is crucial for these nations to avoid being left behind. The World Bank's annual World Development Report highlights the potential of AI in improving healthcare, education, justice, and agricultural sectors. Advanced AI models, primarily developed in the United States and China, offer the ability to quickly analyze data and automate tasks, but they require significant data centers and complex computing power. However, the World Bank suggests that developing economies can adapt lower-cost AI tools to meet their local needs. The report notes that developing economies are currently experiencing their weakest average growth performance in three decades, but AI could significantly boost this performance by the end of the 2020s. The World Bank recommends that countries use AI to extend medical, legal, educational, and agricultural services to underserved populations. The report also emphasizes the need for countries to invest in electricity generation and distribution, expand access to computing power, and improve the availability of local data. The director of the report, Gaurav Nayyar, states that the window to get this right is narrow and that AI presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to solve problems that have resisted solutions for generations. The report shares examples of AI applications in governance, such as increasing diabetes screening volumes in Bangladesh and reducing costs for Indian farmers through advanced weather forecasts. The solutions will need to be adapted to meet the needs of the 6.8 billion people living in low-income and developing countries. The report also calls for policymakers to build public trust as they expand AI use, emphasizing that improved public services and better learning outcomes in schools will reinforce trust. However, the report warns that AI could widen gaps between countries, increase inequality within them, and create new risks for safety, rights, and social cohesion.