Developing countries are calling for a greater role in shaping the global rules governing artificial intelligence, warning that the rapidly advancing technology could widen economic inequalities if its development and regulation remain concentrated in wealthy nations. The issue featured prominently during recent United Nations meetings in New York, where leaders from Africa, Asia and Latin America raised concerns about the growing influence and risks of AI. The debate came as governments and technology companies face increasing pressure to strengthen safeguards around increasingly capable systems. At a UN Security Council session on AI, Democratic Republic of Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner said developing countries should not be limited to using technologies designed elsewhere. She argued that developing nations should have a meaningful role in creating international standards and norms, warning that technological progress should not reproduce economic imbalances seen in previous periods. The Security Council discussion brought together senior figures from the AI industry, including OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei. Both have called for international cooperation and safeguards as AI systems become more powerful. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who chaired the UN debate, said interest in AI governance had increased sharply. He described the issue as a question of who develops the technology, who benefits from it, who bears its risks and who is held accountable when systems cause harm. FBR Monitoring Businesses face sealing over failure to connect monitoring systems UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for developing countries to have an equal voice in addressing the challenges posed by AI. He has compared the need for international cooperation on AI with the global response to climate change. The economic stakes are significant. The World Bank’s 2026 World Development Report says AI could enable developing countries to achieve in a decade what might otherwise take a century, provided they close gaps in electricity, internet connectivity, skills and institutional capacity. The report also warns that AI development is concentrated among a relatively small number of countries and companies, creating risks of greater dependence and inequality. The International Monetary Fund estimates that AI could add about 4% cumulatively to the economies of sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade if countries establish the necessary foundations for wider adoption. Under current levels of preparedness, however, the projected gain is much smaller. For developing nations, the debate is therefore not only about access to AI but also about the infrastructure and skills needed to use it effectively. The World Bank identifies connectivity, computing capacity, locally relevant data and digital skills as key foundations for broader participation in the AI economy. The discussion at the UN also highlighted differences over how AI should be governed. While several countries and technology leaders have called for stronger international cooperation and safety measures, the United States has emphasised innovation and voluntary approaches rather than creating a new global regulatory structure. The contrasting positions reflect a broader challenge for governments: how to encourage the economic benefits of AI while ensuring that countries with fewer resources have a meaningful role in setting the rules, accessing the technology and managing its risks. Post navigation OpenAI Agents Company struggles to track full scope of rogue activity
