The World Bank has issued a stark warning that artificial intelligence could compress a century of economic development into a single decade for emerging markets, provided these nations can overcome significant infrastructure deficits.
The international lender’s latest report argues that while the technology offers an unprecedented opportunity to narrow the development gap with advanced economies, the window to capitalize on it is narrowing.
According to the report, the primary barrier to this accelerated growth is not a lack of technological access, but rather the failure to address legacy gaps in digital infrastructure and human capital.
The World Bank emphasizes that without immediate investment in these foundational areas, the potential benefits of AI will remain out of reach for the most vulnerable economies.
The findings add nuance to the broader debate on AI’s economic impact.
While the report highlights the potential for rapid catch-up growth, it simultaneously cautions that the economic benefits of artificial intelligence are likely to disproportionately favor capital owners rather than the broader workforce.