Artificial intelligence (AI) could help developing economies, including Nigeria, to achieve in a decade what might otherwise take a century if governments move quickly to bridge critical gaps in electricity, internet access, digital skills and institutions, the World Bank has said.

The position is contained in the ‘World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence,’ released yesterday.

The report says AI presents a major opportunity for developing countries to boost growth at a time when they are experiencing their weakest average economic performance in three decades, but warns that the benefits will depend on how quickly countries build the foundations needed to adopt the technology.

According to the report, jobs in high-income countries are more than three times as likely to be at risk of automation from generative AI than those in low and middle-income countries.

It found that 4.5 per cent of existing jobs in developing economies are at risk, compared with 14.2 per cent in high-income economies.

At the same time, AI could significantly improve productivity in developing countries, with 16.2 per cent of jobs expected to benefit from meaningful productivity gains, close to the 18.7 per cent projected for high-income economies.

The report says AI’s greatest value for developing countries lies in supporting workers rather than replacing them.

Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group, Indermit Gill, notes that developing economies have a rare opportunity to use AI to improve lives without first building expensive AI models or large data centres.

He states: “AI has thrown developing economies a lifeline, and they should seize it. They do not need large models or big data centres to reap its benefits. By adapting small, low-cost AI tools to local conditions, they can bring better medical care, education, judicial services and agricultural extension within reach of millions.”

Gill added: “But they must hurry: AI is spreading faster and is more context-specific than earlier general-purpose technologies like electricity and the internet. World Development Report 2026 shows how developing countries are responding and succeeding.”

The report, described as the first comprehensive assessment of AI’s implications for developing countries, notes that governments and businesses are already using the technology to solve problems, analyse information, improve forecasts and deliver services on a larger scale.

It notes that AI could help doctors diagnose patients more effectively, enable farmers to make better decisions, improve business productivity and strengthen government services such as tax administration, social programmes, disaster response, healthcare and education.

Despite these opportunities, the World Bank warns in the report that AI could widen inequalities if countries fail to act. It said the most advanced AI systems are currently being developed by a small number of countries and companies, while many developing economies continue to struggle with inadequate electricity supply, poor internet access, limited data, weak skills and institutional challenges.

Without deliberate action, it says AI could deepen gaps between countries, increase inequality within societies, concentrate market power, weaken trust in public institutions and create new risks for safety, rights and social cohesion.

To avoid these risks, the report recommends a three-step approach of adopting existing AI tools, adapting them to local conditions and gradually advancing towards frontier AI development as countries strengthen their capabilities.

Director of the World Development Report 2026, Gaurav Nayyar, says countries that invest in the right foundations now will be better positioned to benefit from AI.