A 2025 report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that the rapid global implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) risks creating a Next Great Divergence, significantly widening economic and social disparities between developed and developing nations. This potential chasm, which could reverse decades of progress in global convergence, is driven by factors such as unequal AI readiness—including disparities in infrastructure, skilled workforces, and regulatory frameworks—and the concentration of data resources in wealthier states. The analysis details how AI exacerbates inequalities through economic disruption via automation, rapid skill polarization, and critical governance asymmetries, threatening to destabilize global cohesion. The report examines regions like the Asia-Pacific as a microcosm of these tensions, highlighting deep digital divides that risk stalling economic growth and spurring social fractures. To prevent this outcome, the UNDP calls for urgent, proactive policy interventions, including targeted investments in digital infrastructure, open-source AI models, and the creation of inclusive global ethical standards.
