China event asks if Apec’s rules can close growing AI gap between rich and poor

A widening gap between advanced economies and developing countries in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted discussions on employing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) framework to create a more equitable and culturally sensitive AI governance system. At a conference held in southern China, experts highlighted the critical infrastructure and talent shortages faced by many Global South nations, which hinder their ability to effectively leverage AI technology.

The concern was raised that such disparities could result in AI innovation primarily benefiting a select few countries and businesses, exacerbating the global economic divide.

Chung Chul, a senior vice-president at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, emphasized that the economic gap between advanced and developing nations was "widening, not shrinking." He stressed that an inclusive framework aimed at addressing this issue should not be considered an afterthought but rather a fundamental aspect of technological cooperation and innovation.

"The central policy question is not whether Apec should use AI but whether the region can scale innovation without widening the gap," he urged.

According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the AI landscape and its rule-making processes are dominated by a small number of nations and around 100 corporations. Only about one-third of developing countries have a national AI strategy, and the figure drops to just 12 percent among the least developed nations. Moreover, 118 countries, primarily from the Global South, do not participate in major international AI governance forums, further widening the digital divide.

The conference also addressed the potential cultural marginalization faced by these countries. Hans d'Orville, a former assistant director general for strategic planning at UNESCO, pointed out that AI systems are often trained on data sets containing inherent linguistic and cultural biases. He warned that without responsible governance and cultural considerations, AI could reinforce existing biases and inequalities, stifle cultural diversity, and undermine local identities.

D'Orville called for the introduction of development-focused AI regulations to prevent the digital divide from widening further.

The Apec framework's flexible nature was seen as a potential solution to establish a more inclusive AI governance system. Chung Chul suggested setting up joint training programs, public-private partnerships, and knowledge-sharing networks to ensure all members of the bloc can integrate AI into their economies. He also advocated for leveraging Apec's pathfinder mechanism, which allows member nations to establish preliminary rules for issue-specific policies without full consensus from the entire bloc.

Additionally, Apec's regulatory sandboxes, which permit the relaxation of restrictions on testing new technologies, products, and business models, could be utilized to explore cross-border data flows and AI governance. These practical implementations could then serve as a foundation for developing regulatory frameworks.