Resilience and vitality through innovation

Editor's note: The Mingde Strategic Dialogue 2026, hosted by Renmin University of China, was held in Beijing on Oct 11 under the theme "Resilience and Vitality: New Opportunities China's Development Brings to the World". Participants discussed China's high-quality development, global economic governance, supply-chain resilience and innovation in artificial intelligence. Below are reflections from four participants, compiled by Li Wei of China Daily.

AI's promise depends on access

By Vijay Prashad

When we talk about AI, we must first consider electricity. For millions of people around the world, access to electricity remains unreliable or out of reach. Even basic activities such as charging a phone or using a computer at night can be a challenge, let alone making use of AI.

This is where the discussion about AI and the Global South must begin. Electricity is not simply a technical requirement but the foundation for broader access to technology and its benefits.

But access alone is not enough. We must also integrate AI into the development of productive forces. Its true value lies not merely in creating memes or advancing financial technology, but in enhancing our ability to produce goods and provide services efficiently.

For developing countries, the challenge is to move beyond their roles as mere suppliers of raw materials that power the AI industry. Copper, lithium and other minerals are important, but developing countries should not merely extract them while the greater value is created elsewhere. They must also become users, developers and producers of technology, moving up the value chain.

China's technological advancements offer an important lesson. It has challenged the notion that only a handful of countries can produce sophisticated technologies. This matters not simply because China competes in AI, but because its experience can inspire other countries to overcome the obstacles to technological development.

Such progress requires self-reliance, investment in infrastructure and opportunities to develop technological capabilities.

Ultimately, AI is not socially neutral. Its impact depends on how it is developed and used. The goal should be to enhance human capabilities, expand opportunities and ensure that technology serves people rather than the other way around.

AI's progress should therefore be measured not by the power of its models or the scale of its computing infrastructure but by whether more people can use it to improve their lives, whether more countries can develop their productive capacity, and whether the benefits of technological progress can reach beyond those who already possess the greatest resources.

AI's promise will remain incomplete until more of the world has the power — both literally and technologically — to take part.

The author is the executive director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, United States. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.