Will AI Widen the Global Digital Divide?
So, let’s talk about the AI revolution—and not just in terms of fancy gadgets or Silicon Valley headlines, but from a much broader, global perspective. Specifically, what does artificial intelligence mean for the Global South?
At major AI conferences like NeurIPS, there have been repeated visa issues for African researchers, effectively shutting them out from the spaces where new knowledge and collaborations are built. Access to these events isn’t just about attending panels; it’s about participating in global conversations, building influence, and getting feedback from leading minds. So when people in the field talk about "democratizing AI," it rings hollow if the entry points aren’t truly open to everyone.
Fadhel Kaboub, an economics professor, once said, “a lack of vision for oneself results in being a part of someone else’s vision.” And that’s the concern here. Without infrastructure, access to energy, or inclusion in research networks, countries in the Global South are in danger of being passive participants in a revolution that directly affects them.
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It’s a dynamic we’ve seen before—like in agriculture and natural resources, where countries in the South produce raw goods but see profits and value accumulate in the North. Something similar is happening with AI: data labor like tagging images or transcribing audio is often outsourced to low-paid workers in the Global South, while the wealth and decision-making power remains concentrated elsewhere.
Add to that weak legal frameworks, poor cybersecurity protections, and limited trust in data governance—and it becomes clear that the current AI boom could widen digital inequality, not fix it.
So what could a more balanced future look like? Maybe it involves something like an AI community modeled after the BRICS countries—countries with shared challenges, building their own markets, protecting their data sovereignty, and redefining value on their own terms.
The AI revolution can be a turning point. But only if we ask: Who’s included? Whose stories get told? And who gets to shape what’s coming next?
Because if the Global South isn't at the table, it risks being on the menu.
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