By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The World Bank has said the
development potential of artificial intelligence will depend on countries
having the digital foundations needed to put the technology to work, including
connectivity, digital public infrastructure, data, skills and AI capabilities.
Sangbu Kim, Vice President
for Digital and AI at the World Bank, said the institution held discussions
this week with partners including GSMA, the Government of Nigeria, public
sector leaders and industry partners, alongside conversations on digital cooperation
and AI capacity development convened by the United Nations Office for Digital
and Emerging Technologies.
A common theme across the
engagements, according to the World Bank Group’s Digital and AI team, was that
AI’s potential for development extends beyond the technology itself.
Countries need the
underlying infrastructure and capabilities to deploy AI effectively, including
reliable connectivity, digital public infrastructure, access to data, relevant
skills, AI capabilities and strong innovation ecosystems.
The World Bank said ensuring
that all countries can participate in and benefit from AI will require
partnerships among governments, development organisations, industry and civil
society.
The institution also
highlighted the scale of the demographic and employment challenge facing
developing countries. Over the next 10 to 15 years, 1.2 billion young people in
developing countries are expected to reach working age, while current
projections suggest those economies will create only 420 million jobs.
Against this backdrop, AI
presents an opportunity to increase the productivity of jobs and create new
pathways to economic opportunity, while also raising questions about how the
resulting benefits can be shared widely.
Kim said he had been having
discussions during the week on how digital technologies and AI can work better
for people and countries.
