AI’s ‘opportunity divide’ could deepen global inequality, UN official warns
News Source
•Sun, 25 Oct 2026 17:26:22 +0000
📰 What Happened
A senior United Nations official says artificial intelligence could widen the gap between rich and poor countries. Tomas Lamanauskas is deputy head of the ITU, the UN agency for communication technology. He spoke to Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, at a UN investment forum on Sunday. He said AI could help health, education, farming and trade. But he warned that a big divide could become an 'opportunity divide' and deepen social and economic gaps.
🔍 The Backstory
The warning points to a problem that already shows in digital infrastructure. Mr Lamanauskas named Africa and Latin America, which together hold only a small share of the world's capacity. He said those gaps are why the AI divide worries him most. The ITU is the UN agency that works on information and communication technology. Its leaders have long tracked these gaps between countries.
🎯 Why It Matters
If only rich countries can use AI, the benefits stay with them. Poorer countries could fall further behind in health and schools.
A senior United Nations official says artificial intelligence could widen the gap between rich and poor countries. Tomas Lamanauskas is deputy head of the ITU, the UN agency for communication technology. He spoke to Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, at a UN investment forum on Sunday. He said AI could help health, education, farming and trade. But he warned that a big divide could become an 'opportunity divide' and deepen social and economic gaps.
The warning points to a problem that already shows in digital infrastructure. Mr Lamanauskas named Africa and Latin America, which together hold only a small share of the world's capacity. He said those gaps are why the AI divide worries him most. The ITU is the UN agency that works on information and communication technology. Its leaders have long tracked these gaps between countries.
If only rich countries can use AI, the benefits stay with them. Poorer countries could fall further behind in health and schools.