BRICS forum addresses digital divide

Leaders and experts from BRICS nations and beyond gathered at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Friday to forge a consensus on making AI accessible to all of humanity.

The Win-Win BRICS forum, held under the theme "From consensus to practice: making artificial intelligence a global public good benefiting all humanity", brought together government officials, UN representatives, and industry leaders to address the digital divide in AI capabilities.

"We are undoubtedly living in the age of artificial intelligence," said Tshilidzi Marwala, UN under-secretary-general and rector of the United Nations University. "But access to an international public good is measured by who can actually use it."

With BRICS countries representing more than 40 percent of the world's population with a total exceeding 3 billion people, Marwala emphasized that AI must not remain a privilege of the few.

William Kabogo Gitau, cabinet secretary of Kenya's Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, underscored the barriers facing developing nations. "The distance between our people and AI tools is a practical problem," he said. "The Global South comes to this forum with its perspectives and priorities."

Gitau stressed that public value lies in applying AI to areas including agriculture, healthcare, education and public services.

The forum produced several initiatives designed to translate principles into action. Key deliverables included the Global AI Industry Capacity Building Initiative and the Global AI Legal Infrastructure, aiming at providing support for enterprises conducting cross-border cooperation, enhancing compliance capabilities and expanding into international markets.

Zhang Ying, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, emphasized the city's role as a bridge for BRICS AI cooperation. "Shanghai is an important window for China's opening-up and a hub for AI industry development," Zhang said. "In 2025, the city's AI industry reached nearly 640 billion yuan ($94.4b), growing 39.5 percent. We are committed to promoting global win-win cooperation in artificial intelligence."

Alaa Abdulaal, chief of Digital Economy Intelligence at the Digital Cooperation Organization, framed AI as fundamentally reshaping global interdependence. "AI is no longer simply an emerging technology. It is becoming a driving force behind industrial transformation, economic growth and global competitiveness," she said.

"No single country or organization can unlock AI's full potential alone," Abdulaal added. "The question is not only how we accelerate innovation, but how we ensure countries, institutions and innovators can work together to build sustainable ecosystems and shared prosperity."

Indonesia's Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun praised China's leadership in high-tech development and innovation, while calling for deeper collaboration. "We should strengthen cooperation in building advanced industrial ecosystems and invest in education and talent development through joint training and research," he said.

"The China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center provides an important platform to advance these shared goals," Oratmangun added. "I look forward to seeing our shared aspirations translated into concrete projects, joint platforms, talent exchanges and viable initiatives that deliver real benefits for our people."