A senior United Nations official warned that uneven access to artificial intelligence could exacerbate global inequality, as developing nations lag in infrastructure and skills. Tomas Lamanauskas, deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, said in Doha that Africa and Latin America account for just 3.3% of global data-center capacity and that 2.2 billion people remain offline, calling for an estimated $2.8 trillion in investment by 2030. Adoption gaps persist, with 29% of working-age adults in advanced economies using generative AI versus 16% in developing countries. While AI may create more jobs than it displaces, Lamanauskas cautioned that 40% of workplace skills could shift by 2030 and flagged language barriers, with only 7% of African languages represented in translation tools. He urged greater investment, education, and regulation to ensure the technology benefits all, noting 104 countries now have AI strategies.
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