Beyond the AI race
How BRICS is helping the Global South harness technology to deliver better healthcare, protect livelihoods, and strengthen food security. Artificial intelligence is advancing at a breathtaking pace. Countries and companies are racing to build more powerful models and push the boundaries of what machines can do. But for much of the Global South, the more […] Beyond the AI race was originally…
The BRICS group of countries is playing a significant role in helping the Global South harness technology to improve healthcare, protect livelihoods, and strengthen food security. While the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is a global phenomenon, its immediate impact for many countries in the Global South lies in solving problems that directly affect people's lives.
The extent of technological development across the region varies greatly, with some nations having advanced research capabilities and large digital economies, while others are still building the necessary infrastructure and workforce to fully utilize AI.
This disparity in technological capabilities and development stages has led to a new dimension of South-South cooperation among BRICS countries. By leveraging their diverse technological capabilities and development experiences, these nations are increasingly working together to develop and share AI technologies, expertise, and applications tailored to the specific needs of other emerging and developing economies.
Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach, these efforts adapt AI solutions to local infrastructure, economic conditions, and development priorities, ultimately focusing on where AI can make the biggest difference.
One area where AI is making a difference in the Global South is in healthcare. In China, Xunfei Healthcare has developed AI-powered tools that assist doctors with clinical decision-making, medical records, prescription reviews, and medical imaging. By signing a strategic cooperation agreement with Indonesia's PT DSST Mas Gemilang, China's expertise in large-scale AI applications is being combined with Indonesia's local healthcare needs, bringing medical expertise closer to rural and remote areas where access to timely and quality healthcare can be hindered by distance and limited resources.
Similarly, India's Qure.ai has deployed its AI-based chest X-ray analysis system, qXR, in over 60 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, helping healthcare workers identify patients requiring further testing in areas where specialist radiologists are scarce.
AI is also playing a crucial role in helping communities better prepare for and respond to climate change. At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, the China Meteorological Administration unveiled the MAZU-Fengyun Satellite AI Toolbox, which combines satellite data reception, AI inference, and multi-source data fusion to improve monitoring and early warning for extreme weather and other meteorological hazards.
Customized versions of this toolbox have been deployed in countries like Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka, helping them strengthen their early-warning capabilities and protect crops, food security, and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, AI is being used to develop optimised bean varieties in Thailand and Myanmar, tailored to the specific conditions of the land and better suited to changing environmental conditions, thereby improving agricultural productivity and resilience.
Written by urgent.news from Emerging Europe's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
