A recent United Nations study finds that Asia and the Pacific is the world’s “ultimate testing ground” for artificial intelligence. The region spans a 200-fold gap between its richest and poorest nations, with strong digital ecosystems in some countries and limited connectivity, skills and infrastructure in others. These divides shape who will benefit from AI – and who will bear its risks.
Artificial intelligence is advancing at a historic pace, but countries are starting from very different points. The report warns that without deliberate action, AI could widen gaps in income, opportunity and governance, reversing years of progress in reducing global inequality.
AI’s promise and risk across Asia and the Pacific
The region already accounts for more than half of global AI users and nearly 70 percent of AI patents. AI could raise GDP growth by about two percentage points and increase productivity by up to five percent in key sectors. But these gains may be uneven. Countries with limited connectivity, data, and institutional capacity risk being locked out early, creating what the report calls “unequal abundance”, where a few surge ahead while many could be left behind.
At the same time, women and young people face particular vulnerabilities. Jobs held by women are nearly twice as exposed to automation, and youth employment is already declining in high-AI-exposure roles, especially for those aged 22–25, threatening early-career pathways. In South Asia, women are up to 40% less likely than men to own a smartphone. Rural and indigenous communities often remain invisible in the datasets that train AI systems, increasing the risk of algorithmic bias and exclusion from essential services.
“AI is racing ahead, and many countries are still at the starting line,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “The Asia and Pacific experience highlights how quickly gaps can emerge between those shaping AI and those being shaped by it.”