AI threatens to widen inequality among states 2026: UN

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world. It is a powerful new technology (AI threatens). Many people hope AI will help solve big problems like hunger and disease. However, the United Nations (UN) has issued a serious warning. The UN says that AI might not help everyone equally. Instead, AI threatens to make the world more unequal. It threatens to widen the gap between rich countries and poor countries.

This problem has called the “AI divide.” The UN wants the world to act now. They want to make sure the power of AI has shared fairly. If the technology has only controlled by a few powerful nations, the poorest will fall even further behind.

The UN’s Core Warning AI threatens

The UN report looked closely at how AI has developed and used. The conclusion was clear: AI is speeding up the differences between nations. AI threatens

Concentration of Power: AI has mostly controlled by a very small group of rich countries. These include the United States and China. These nations have the money, the companies, and the talent to build the best AI systems.

Lack of Access: Many developing nations—poor countries—do not have the money or the infrastructure to join the AI race. They lack the fast internet, the huge computer centers, and the trained engineers needed for AI. AI threatens

This means the rich countries will use AI to grow faster. The poor countries would left using old, slower methods. This makes the economic gap much wider, very quickly. AI threatens

The Cost of Building AI Infrastructure AI threatens

AI is not cheap. It requires huge amounts of money to build the basic systems. This is called infrastructure.

Expensive Chips: AI runs on special computer chips called GPUs. These chips are very expensive. Only the largest, richest companies can afford to buy them in massive numbers. Poor countries simply cannot compete for these chips.

Data Centers: AI also needs enormous buildings full of computers. These are called data centers. Data centers use huge amounts of electricity. Building and running these centers costs billions of dollars. This level of investment is out of reach for most developing nations. AI threatens

Because the entry price is so high, only rich countries can play the game.

The Talent Gap AI threatens

AI relies on very specific, highly educated people. These are AI scientists, machine learning engineers, and data analysts.

Brain Drain: The best AI scientists tend to move to rich countries. They move to places like Silicon Valley or major European cities. They go where the pay is highest and the technology is most advanced. This is called “brain drain.”

Limited Education: Many poor countries do not have the university programs to train these high-level engineers. Even if they train them, the rich countries immediately hire them away. This leaves the developing nations with very few experts to build their own local AI solutions. Without local experts, they cannot adapt the technology to their own needs.

The Data Divide AI threatens

AI systems learn from information. This information is called data. To build a good AI system, you need massive amounts of good, clean data. AI threatens

Language and Culture: Most of the world’s best data is in English. The best AI models are trained mostly on Western culture and information. This makes the AI systems less useful for people who speak other languages or live in different cultures. AI threatens

Ownership of Data: Large tech companies from rich countries collect most of the world’s data. They own it. This means the poor countries do not control their own data. They cannot use their own information to build AI that helps their local problems, like farming or local diseases. The rich get smarter because they own the data.

The Impact on Global Trade and Jobs AI threatens

AI will change how goods are made and how services are provided. This will hurt poor countries that rely on old methods.

Automation of Services: Many people in developing nations work in call centers or in basic data processing. AI can automate these jobs very easily. Automation means machines do the work. If AI takes these jobs, millions of people in poor countries will be unemployed.

Manufacturing: Rich countries might start bringing manufacturing back home. If robots and AI can run a factory cheaply in the U.S. or Germany, why move the factory to a country with low wages? AI reduces the competitive advantage of poor countries. This will shrink their global trade income.

What the UN Wants Done

The UN report does not say AI is bad. It says AI is a powerful tool that must be shared. The UN wants the world to focus on “AI Inclusion.” Inclusion means making sure everyone is included.

1. Technology Transfer: Rich countries should share their basic AI technology with poor countries. They should not charge high prices. They should make the tools easily available. This is called technology transfer.

2. Global Funds for Infrastructure: The world needs to create a special fund. This fund would help poor countries pay for basic AI infrastructure, like fast internet and data centers.

3. Capacity Building: Rich countries must help universities in poor nations. They must help them train AI engineers. They must create programs that stop the “brain drain.” This allows local experts to build local solutions.

4. Open Source AI: The UN supports making more AI technology “open source.” Open source means the basic code is free for anyone to use and change. This allows poor nations to build their own tools without paying huge fees to large companies.

The UN’s warning is clear

The UN’s warning is clear: without strong global action, AI will widen the gap between rich and poor countries. The high cost of chips and infrastructure, the talent drain, and the control over data are all factors pushing the rich forward and holding the poor back. If only a few powerful states control AI, they will make decisions that benefit only themselves. The world must treat AI not just as a business opportunity, but as a critical public good. The goal must be to ensure that AI becomes a tool for global equality, not for greater division.

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