The World Bank sees AI as a lifeline for developing economies

Its *World Development Report 2026* estimates that AI could enable developing countries to achieve in ten years what would normally take a century.

Published in early August 2026, the World Bank's World Development Report, dedicated to the promise of artificial intelligence, arrives at a time when the growth of developing economies has reached its lowest level in 30 years. Its central message: properly deployed, AI could enable these countries to achieve in a decade what would otherwise require a century — provided governments quickly fill their delays in electricity, connectivity, skills and institutional quality.

The ratio strongly nuances the fear of massive job destruction in the global South. Jobs in high-income countries are more than three times more exposed to automation by the general AI: 14.2% compared to 4.5% in low- and middle-income countries. On the other hand, 16.2 per cent of jobs in developing economies could be significantly improved by AI, which is close to 18.7 per cent expected in rich countries.

The World Bank recommends a three-step path: first adopt existing solutions, then adapt them to local conditions, and then gradually develop more advanced innovation capabilities. The institution insists on what it calls "small AI" — affordable and adaptable tools that can be deployed today in clinics, classrooms and administrations.