AI’s ‘opportunity divide’ could deepen global inequality, UN official warns

Tomas Lamanauskas, deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), warned that developing countries risk missing out on the AI revolution, potentially widening socioeconomic inequality. At the UNCTAD World Investment Forum in Doha, he said AI could transform health, education, public services, industry, agriculture and trade. Africa and Latin America together account for just 3.3 percent of global data centre capacity, while 2.2 billion people worldwide still lack internet access. A December 2025 UNDP report also warned that unreliable electricity, limited connectivity and a shortage of technological skills could keep countries from sharing in AI’s economic gains.