The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations (UN) Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology have warned that without international action, the AI revolution could widen the gap between high and low-income countries.
  
A joint report, ‘Mind the AI Divide: Shaping a Global Perspective on the Future of Work,’ warned that unless cooperative international action is taken, the AI revolution would only widen the gap between high and low-income countries.
  
The report found that AI is revolutionising industries globally, offering tremendous opportunities for innovation and productivity. However, it said it was also exacerbating economic and social inequalities due to uneven rates of investment, adoption and use.
  
This emerging “AI divide”, the report said, means high-income nations disproportionately benefit from AI advancements, while low- and medium-income countries, particularly in Africa, lagged.
  
It stated that the workplace is where Artificial Intelligence can lead to productivity gains and improved working conditions.It said unequal access to infrastructure, technology, quality education and training, however, could lead to uneven adoption of AI, which would, in turn, deepen inequalities globally.
According to it, high-income countries are well-positioned to leverage AI for productivity gains, while developing countries could face bottlenecks due to a lack of digital infrastructure. 

This disparity, it said, could turn a temporary buffer against AI-driven changes into a long-term barrier to economic prosperity. It advised that global partnerships and proactive 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.

It stated that yearly, more than $300 billion is spent globally on technology to enhance computing capacity, but the 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.

However, the report maintained 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 and creating a virtual brain drain.

The report also noted that women are 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 suggested that while automation risks job displacement, it also offers 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, promoting technology transfer, building AI skills and encouraging social dialogue.
It explained that developing countries needed robust digital infrastructure to support AI adoption, such as access to electricity, broadband and modern communication technologies.

On building skills, it stated that investment in education and training was crucial to equip the workforce with necessary AI skills.  
According to the report, this will enable workers to adapt to and benefit from AI-driven changes, adding that effective integration of AI in workplaces requires social dialogue to ensure that technological advancements respect workers’ rights and improve job quality.
  
The ‘Mind the AI Divide’ report also calls on policymakers, industry leaders and international organisations to work together in shaping a fair and inclusive AI-driven future.