Just like industrialization in the 19th If the century “divides the world between the rich few and the poor,” the AI revolution could do the same.
“Countries that invest in skills, computing power and strong governance systems will benefit, others risk being left far behind.“, warned Philip Schellekens, chief economist of the United Nations Development Program for the Asia-Pacific region.
In a new reportThe agency stressed that women and young adults face the greatest threat from AI in the workplace, with broader improvements in health, education and income potentially being left behind.
In the meantime, the tech giant is expected to inject nearly $1 trillion in economic gains over the next decade in Asia alone, the data indicates.
The UN agency said that while China, Singapore and South Korea have invested heavily in – and benefited from – AI, entry-level workers in many South Asian countries face “significant exposure” to changes already underway, including automation.
“Limited infrastructure, skills, computing power and governance capacity limit the potential benefits of AI while amplifying the risksincluding job displacement, data exclusion, and indirect impacts such as increasing global demand for energy and water due to AI-intensive systems. » UNDP said.
Job protection
To avoid a looming jobs shortage, UNDP is urging governments to think about the ethics of AI before deploying it further – and to ensure this is done as inclusively as possible.
“AI is racing and many countries are still at the starting line,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
“The experience of Asia and the Pacific highlights how quickly gaps can emerge between those who shape AI and those who are shaped by it. »
Basic needs to be met
For countries like Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam, the priority is not so much developing AI as using existing, relatively simple voice tools that frontline health workers and farmers can use, even when the internet is down.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than 55% of the world’s population, placing it at the center of the AI transition.
According to UNDP, the region is home to more than half of the world’s AI users and is rapidly expanding its innovation footprint; China alone holds nearly 70% of global AI patentswhile six countries host more than 3,100 newly funded AI companies.
“AI could increase annual GDP growth in the region by around two percentage points and increase productivity by up to 5 percent in sectors such as health and finance,” the UN agency said in its report. report.
He notes that Afghanistan’s average income is 200 times lower than Singapore’s, which partly explains why the use of AI is now concentrated in the hands of so few wealthy countries.
“We are not starting from a level playing field in this region,” Mr. Schellekens said… It is the most unequal region in the world.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
