New UN Report Warns of Widening Inequalities Between Countries Due to AI

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UN Warns of Potential New AI Threat

A United Nations report released Tuesday warned that artificial intelligence could widen the gap between developed and developing countries, calling for policy measures to mitigate its impact. 

The report, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), cautioned about the potential for "significant disparities" between countries in terms of economic performance, skills, and governance.

"We believe that artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of increased inequality between countries, after years of convergence over the past 50 years," said Philippe Schilkins, chief economist at the UNDP's Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau, at a press conference in Geneva, according to Reuters.

The UNDP report, titled "The Coming Great Disparity: Why AI Could Increase Inequality Between Countries," notes that trade, technology, and development have helped close gaps between countries in recent decades, resulting in significant gains in income, health, and education. The report warns that these gains are now at risk of being eroded.

Shilkins said that ultimately, even the wealthiest countries will suffer if poorer countries are left behind by artificial intelligence. He added, "If inequality continues to rise, the spillover effects on the security agenda and on irregular migration will become more severe."