Experts discuss global AI development and inequality at Eastern Economic Forum

AI-summarized · Neutrality-checked

Experts at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, held September 1–4, discussed the risks and economic implications of rapid AI development. Participants, including Svetlana Lukash of Russia’s Presidential Experts’ Directorate, Jeffrey Sachs of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and representatives from the ITU and China, warned that unequal access to AI could exacerbate global economic inequality. The forum addressed the disconnect between the speed of AI advancement and the capacity of governments to regulate the technology. China signaled its involvement in global AI capacity-building by announcing plans to offer 5,000 training opportunities to developing countries over the next five years.

Consequences

The gap between connected and unconnected populations, estimated at 2.2 billion people without internet access, may become insurmountable without concerted international efforts. Wealth concentration is likely to increase among firms that hold AI patents and models, while geopolitical divisions could hinder the global cooperation necessary to align AI development with shared human values.

Sources

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