Could Apec’s rules help close the growing AI gap between rich and poor?
A “widening” AI gap between advanced economies and developing countries has sparked calls to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation framework to develop an open, fairer and culturally sensitive governance system. Although the technology is often hailed as a great leveller in an era of sluggish economic growth, a conference held in southern China last weekend heard that many Global South…
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) framework is being considered as a potential solution to address the growing digital divide in artificial intelligence (AI) between advanced economies and developing countries. At a recent conference in southern China, experts warned that many Global South nations lack the necessary infrastructure and talent to effectively leverage AI technologies.
This disparity in AI capabilities could lead to a concentration of innovation and economic growth among a few countries and businesses, leaving others behind.
Chung Chul, a senior vice-president at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, emphasized that the economic gap between advanced and developing nations is "widening, not shrinking." He stressed that an inclusive framework addressing this issue "cannot be treated as a residual outcome." Instead, such a framework should be considered from the outset, not after innovation has occurred.
Chung proposed that Apec's flexible structures could be utilized to create joint programs and take full advantage of the organization's structures to help bridge the AI gap.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data highlights the concentration of AI rule-making processes and the global AI landscape within a small group of nations and roughly 100 corporations. Only about one-third of developing countries possess a national AI strategy, and this number drops to just 12 percent among the least developed nations. Furthermore, 118 countries from the Global South have no involvement in major international AI governance forums, potentially marginalizing them culturally.
Hans d'Orville, a former assistant director general for strategic planning at UNESCO, highlighted the risk that AI systems, often trained on biased data sets, could reinforce existing inequalities and hinder cultural diversity. He stressed that responsible governance and cultural consideration are crucial to prevent these negative consequences. d'Orville called for development-focused AI regulations to prevent the widening digital divide.
The conference also discussed how Apec's flexible nature could facilitate an inclusive, open form of AI governance. Chung Chul suggested setting up joint training programs, public-private partnerships, and knowledge-sharing networks to ensure all Apec members can integrate AI into their economies. He emphasized that the goal is not to make every economy develop identically but to provide a credible pathway for each to participate in AI-empowered growth.
Chung also advocated for the use of Apec's pathfinder mechanism, which allows members to set preliminary rules for specific policy issues without full participation from the rest of the bloc. Additionally, Apec's regulatory sandboxes should be employed to test cross-border data flows and AI governance through real-world cases, serving as guides for developing regulatory frameworks.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
