
World Bank urges developing countries to adopt AI for improved governance and growth
The World Bank has called on developing countries to embrace artificial intelligence AI tools to enhance governance outcomes, warning that failure to do so could leave them behind. Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group, stated that AI offers a "lifeline" to developing economies, emphasizing that they do not require large models or data centers to benefit. Instead, he advocated for adapting lower-cost AI tools to local conditions to achieve results in health, education, justice, and agriculture. The World Bank's annual World Development Report highlights that AI could significantly boost the weakest average growth performance seen in developing economies over three decades, potentially delivering tangible benefits to people before the end of the 2020s. The report suggests using AI to extend costly medical, legal, educational, and agricultural services to underserved populations, achieving in a decade what might otherwise take a century. It also advises countries to invest in electricity generation, expand computing access, and improve local data availability. Gaurav Nayyar, the report's director, noted that AI presents a unique opportunity to solve long-standing problems. For the 6.8 billion people in low-income and developing countries, AI tools must be adapted to their needs, such as delivering solutions via voice calls on basic mobile phones for those without smartphones or literacy. The report cautions that policymakers must build public trust as AI use ex



