The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has charged global leaders, policymakers, industry leaders, and international organizations on the need to jointly initiate programmes and adequately funding them in order to bridge the widening gap between high and low-income countries.
The labour organization, in a report titled ‘Mind the AI Divide: Shaping a Global Perspective on the Future of Work’, projected that the current Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution would further widen the gap between high and low-income countries unless cooperative international action is taken to deal with the negative impact of the revolution.
The report, from the ILO and the UN Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology, found that AI was revolutionizing industries worldwide, offering tremendous opportunities for innovation and productivity.
However, it disclosed that AI was also exacerbating economic and social inequalities due to uneven rates of investment, adoption, and use, adding that the emerging “AI divide” means high-income nations disproportionately benefit from AI advancements, while low- and medium-income countries, particularly in Africa, lag behind.
According to the labour organization, the workplace is where Artificial Intelligence can lead to productivity gains and improved working conditions. Unequal access to infrastructure, technology, quality education, and training, however, could lead to uneven adoption of AI, which would, in turn, deepen inequalities globally.
The report further reflected that high-income countries were well-positioned to leverage AI for productivity gains, while developing countries could face bottlenecks due to a lack of digital infrastructure, adding that his disparity could turn a temporary buffer against AI-driven changes into a long-term barrier to economic prosperity.
The ILO and the UN Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology maintained that global partnerships and pro-active strategies to support developing nations, including access to digital infrastructure, upskilling, and social dialogue, were necessary prerequisites to closing the technological gap and ensuring that the AI revolution doesn’t leave significant portions of the world’s population behind.
The report’s findings also indicated that annually, more than $300 billion was spent globally on technology to enhance computing capacity, but these investments are focused mainly on higher-income nations, creating a disparity in access to infrastructure and skills development that puts developing countries and their homegrown start-ups at a severe disadvantage.
In addition, the report revealed that without national tech industries, workers in developing nations who have the skills would offer their skills through freelance platforms, effectively building up companies in other countries, creating a virtual brain drain.
The report also noted that women were most vulnerable to the automating effects of AI, particularly in clerical and business process outsourcing roles, such as call centres, prevalent in developing economies. However, the research suggests that while automation risks job displacement, and also offered potential for job augmentation, improving job quality and productivity.
The report proposed three policy pillars: strengthened international cooperation, building national capacity, and addressing AI in the world of work.
This includes Enhancing Digital Infrastructure: Developing countries need robust digital infrastructure to support AI adoption. This includes access to electricity, broadband, and modern communication technologies; and Promoting Technology Transfer: High-income countries should assist in transferring AI technologies and knowledge to developing nations, fostering a collaborative environment for technological advancement.
Others are Building AI Skills: Investment in education and training is crucial to equip the workforce with necessary AI skills. This will enable workers to adapt to and benefit from AI-driven changes; Encouraging Social Dialogue: Effective integration of AI in workplaces requires social dialogue to ensure that technological advancements respect workers’ rights and improve job quality.
