AI boom could widen global inequality, warns UN chief

Paris [France], February 12: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that developing countries risk being left behind as countries scramble to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Speaking at an international AI summit in Paris, Guterres said that the power of AI comes with immense responsibility and is today concentrated in the hands of just a few people.
"While some companies and countries are entering a race for speed with unprecedented investments, most developing nations are falling by the wayside," he said.
"This increasing concentration of artificial intelligence capabilities threatens to exacerbate geopolitical divisions," Guterres added.
"We must ensure that artificial intelligence can bridge the gap between industrialized and developing countries, rather than widening it," the UN chief said.
Guterres stressed that AI should accelerate sustainable development, rather than perpetuating inequality and that technology must serve humanity, not the other way around.
Around 1,500 participants from some 100 countries are attending the two-day AI summit, including international leaders, industry representatives and experts.
Source: Qatar Tribune