Harnessing AI to narrow world tech gap

Developing nations are seeking greater access to talent, infrastructure, artificial intelligence models and governance expertise, as they aim to harness AI without lagging further behind in its development and application, officials and experts from Global South countries said at an AI workshop in Beijing.

The fourth Workshop on AI Capacity Building is being held at Peking University from Monday through Saturday, with representatives from more than 30 nations attending.

The AI capacity building workshop follows President Xi Jinping's announcement at the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in July, in which he said that China would provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities for AI training and seminars over the next five years.

Speaking at the workshop's opening ceremony, Renan Gaya, director of data structuring and artificial intelligence at Brazil's Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, said that deep disparities in data, computing capacity, talent, standards and capital continue to shape the global AI landscape.

"Without collective action, AI may reinforce historical inequalities and create new forms of technological dependence," Gaya said, adding that "countries must build their own capacity or, at least, reduce strategic dependencies".

He added that the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO, and United Nations programs could help bridge the digital divide by sharing knowledge and providing training in areas where they are most needed.

"By sharing open-source AI models and knowledge through training and partnerships, China helps others build their own capacity," he said.

In 2024, China promoted the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution on AI capacity building by consensus. The country later launched further initiatives to expand practical cooperation in the field and proposed the establishment of the WAICO.

Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin described China as an early advocate of AI capacity building and noted that all of the participants in the workshop are from founding members of the WAICO, reflecting a commitment to ensuring that the initial participants would also be among the first to benefit.

However, Liu said that the potential of AI would not automatically translate into benefits for common development, and that it could instead entrench or even exacerbate inequalities. He said that capacity building should go beyond simply providing access to technologies and services, adding that greater emphasis should be placed on helping developing countries build the capabilities required to develop and apply AI more independently, using it to solve real-world problems in ways that generate lasting value.

Antoine Pokam, an inspector at the Inspectorate General in charge of Technical Matters of Cameroon's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, pointed to infrastructure, financing and access to AI models as areas in which developing countries need greater support.

Stressing the need for capacity-building programs, he added that support was also required for projects, financing and infrastructure.

Aung Myo Maung, deputy director of the National AI Development Department of Myanmar's Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, said as Myanmar moves toward digitalization, the country's government could benefit from China's experience in areas such as data analytics and decision-support systems.

Thanongdeuane Toulihong, deputy director of the Applied Research Institute of Smart Technology under Laos' Ministry of Technology and Communications, said that human resources and infrastructure are among the major constraints facing AI development in his country, and that relevant policy frameworks also need to be developed further.