The United Nations has warned that unequal access to artificial intelligence (AI) could deepen economic and social inequalities between wealthy and developing countries.
Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), raised the concern in an interview with Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Forum in Doha, Qatar.
He explained that AI has enormous potential to transform healthcare, education, agriculture, trade, public services and industries. However, countries without adequate digital infrastructure, reliable electricity, internet access and technological expertise risk missing out on these benefits.
Lamanauskas warned that the growing gap in AI access could become an opportunity divide, further widening existing socioeconomic inequalities.
Africa and Latin America Face Digital Infrastructure Challenges
The UN official highlighted the significant disparity in digital infrastructure, noting that Africa and Latin America together account for just 3.3 per cent of global data centre capacity.
He also revealed that approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide remain without internet access, limiting their ability to benefit from emerging technologies.
According to Lamanauskas, an estimated $2.8 trillion in investment will be required by 2030 to bridge the global digital infrastructure gap.
The disparity is also reflected in AI adoption. Approximately 29 per cent of working-age people in developed countries use generative AI, compared with just 16 per cent in developing nations.
He warned that the difference could affect productivity and limit access to employment opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
AI Could Eliminate Millions of Jobs
Lamanauskas acknowledged growing concerns about the impact of AI on employment, citing estimates that the technology could displace 90 million jobs while creating approximately 170 million new positions.
Although the overall employment impact could be positive, he cautioned that many workers would still face significant disruption as industries adopt AI-powered systems.
He added that an estimated 40 per cent of workplace skills could change by 2030, highlighting the need for workers to acquire new skills and adapt to technological developments.
Fazl Barez, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford specialising in AI safety and governance, said concerns about job losses were legitimate but stressed the importance of distinguishing between AI automating individual tasks and replacing entire jobs.
Barez noted that jobs involving routine cognitive tasks could be particularly vulnerable, although the overall scale of potential job losses remains uncertain.
He also warned that AI-driven automation could weaken government tax revenues, reduce living standards and limit citizens' economic opportunities.
African Languages Underrepresented in AI Tools
The UN official also highlighted language inequality as a major obstacle to the widespread adoption of AI.
According to Lamanauskas, only seven per cent of African languages are represented in AI translation tools, potentially excluding millions of people from accessing and benefiting from the technology.
The issue raises concerns about whether AI systems can adequately serve communities whose languages receive limited representation in digital technologies.
The 2026 International AI Safety Report, released in February, estimated that approximately one billion people worldwide use AI for various tasks, including seeking health information and writing assistance.
The report also estimated that around 60 per cent of jobs in advanced economies and 40 per cent in emerging economies could be exposed to AI-related impacts.
UN Calls for Investment to Ensure AI Benefits Everyone
Despite the concerns, Lamanauskas said stopping the development of AI was not a realistic option, arguing that the technology would continue to transform societies and economies.
He revealed that 104 countries now have national AI strategies, compared with only four a decade ago.
However, he called for greater investment in digital infrastructure, education and effective regulation to ensure developing countries can participate in the AI revolution and help shape its future.
Lamanauskas stressed that governments and other stakeholders must recognise public concerns while ensuring that AI's benefits are distributed more fairly.
He maintained that expanding access to technology and developing the necessary skills would be essential to preventing AI from widening the economic divide between nations.
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