According to a Bloomberg report on the 4th, the World Bank urged developing economies in its latest report to apply artificial intelligence to government governance and business operations as soon as possible, and to adapt existing AI tools to local needs.
The World Bank believes that emerging economies do not need to compete with wealthy countries on large data centers and large language models. Instead, promoting small, low-cost AI tools adapted to local needs is more likely to improve healthcare services and the quality of education.
Developing economies are currently experiencing their weakest average growth performance in 30 years. The World Bank pointed out that AI could help these countries get back on a growth path. “AI is more likely to become an assistant to workers than take away their jobs. With the help of AI, billions of people who have long lacked access to services could obtain healthcare, legal, education, and agricultural services that were previously prohibitively expensive. Progress that might have taken 100 years in the past could potentially be achieved within 10 years.”
The impact of generative AI on employment will not be evenly distributed. ITHome learned that jobs in high-income countries are more than three times as likely to face automation risks as those in low- and middle-income countries. At the same time, AI can also ease shortages of skilled professionals by helping teachers prepare lessons, assisting nurses in interpreting medical images, providing farmers with planting recommendations, and improving work efficiency.
The real obstacle is that some developing countries still lack the internet, electricity, and the skills needed to use AI. As of 2024, 3 out of every 10 rural schools in sub-Saharan Africa lacked a stable power supply, and 89% of 10-year-old children could not even read and understand simple text.
The World Bank warned that if infrastructure, talent, institutions, and financing conditions do not improve, AI will not only fail to narrow the productivity gap between developing economies and wealthy countries, but may instead cause the gap to continue widening.
The report also noted that industries such as call centers and entry-level software services may reduce jobs as a result, while social inequality, cybercrime, and dependence on foreign technology may also worsen.