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World Bank Advises Developing Nations to Adopt AI Tools Before Building Models
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CNBC TV18•08-10-2026, 21:15
World Bank Advises Developing Nations to Adopt AI Tools Before Building Models
- •A World Bank report states artificial intelligence offers a historic opportunity for low- and middle-income countries to tackle development challenges.
- •Developing nations are advised to adopt and adapt existing AI tools for local needs rather than racing to build their own frontier models.
- •Building frontier models is deemed unrealistic for most developing countries in the near future due to resource constraints.
- •While AI adoption is spreading fast, usage gaps remain wide, with high-income internet users adopting ChatGPT at much higher rates than those in low-income nations.
- •Only a small share of jobs in developing countries face immediate disruption from AI, while small businesses stand to benefit by improving their capabilities.
Key Questions Answered
The World Bank recommends that developing countries follow an "adopt, adapt, then advance" approach, prioritizing the implementation and local tailoring of existing AI tools rather than trying to build expensive frontier models from scratch.
Generative AI threatens only about 4.5% of jobs in low- and middle-income countries—mostly in knowledge-intensive professional services—compared to 14.2% in high-income countries, while potentially boosting the capabilities of small businesses.
The World Bank report highlights a small number of countries making early inroads, including India with Sarvam AI, the United Arab Emirates with Falcon, and Sub-Saharan Africa with InkubaLM.
