The United Nations has warned that artificial intelligence could widen the divide between wealthy and poorer nations if urgent action is not taken to make the technology accessible to everyone.
The warning came in a new report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Development Programme. The report says richer countries are on track to gain most of the benefits of AI while many developing nations may be left behind due to weak digital infrastructure, low skills, and limited access to electricity and the internet.
The report compares the situation to the industrial revolution, when Western nations advanced quickly and others struggled to keep up.
According to the UNDP, the biggest question is not only how AI will change industries or jobs, but how it will affect people whose lives already depend on fragile systems. The report states that many communities still lack stable power, internet access, and digital skills, making them vulnerable in a world driven by data.
The authors warn that people displaced by conflict, climate disasters, or poverty may not even appear in the datasets used to train AI tools. This means their needs may be ignored. The report says such groups risk becoming invisible.
The UNDP noted that AI also presents great opportunities. It said, “AI can lift productivity, spark new industries, and help latecomers catch up.” It added that the technology could support farmers with better advice, improve medical diagnosis, and deliver faster weather and disaster forecasts.
The report explains that “AI systems that analyze poverty, health, and disaster risks enable faster, fairer, and more transparent decisions, turning data into continuous learning and public value.”
However, the UNDP also warned about the pressures AI places on resources. Even countries like the United States have raised fears that data centres could consume too much electricity and water, threatening climate goals and public health.
The report notes serious ethical and security concerns. Researchers have found hackers using AI to speed up cyberattacks, while deepfakes and other fake content are becoming harder to detect and can mislead the public.
The UNDP said that Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are better positioned to benefit from AI. But others, including Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Maldives, lack the power supply, technical skills and equipment needed to join the global AI economy.
It added that even within advanced countries, inequalities between regions leave some communities at risk of falling behind.
The report found that about a quarter of the Asia-Pacific region still has no internet access. Without better connectivity, millions of people may be excluded from digital tools, online payments, digital ID systems, and education needed to compete globally. The UNDP warned they could be “stranded on the wrong side of an AI-driven global economy.”
Other risks highlighted include surveillance that violates privacy, systems that act like “black boxes,” and technologies that reinforce bias against certain groups. The report says transparency and strong regulation are essential to keep AI use fair and accountable.
According to the UNDP, “AI is becoming the region’s next essential infrastructure, like power, roads and schools, with faster upsides and sharper risks.” It urged governments to invest in digital infrastructure, education, training, social protection and fair competition.
The report concludes that the goal is to expand access to AI so that all countries and communities can benefit while protecting those most likely to face disruption.
