Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to laboratories or futuristic predictions; it has become a critical pillar of development, shaping every major sector, from health care and education to legal systems and environmental management. The challenge, however, is not simply integrating AI into these fields, but ensuring equitable and sustainable access to these technologies worldwide.?While AI promises to accelerate human development, the benefits risk being unevenly distributed without appropriate global governance frameworks.

So, will AI be a transformative equalizer, or will it deepen existing global divides? For the international community, particularly the Global South, this is an urgent question. Many nations confront structural challenges, ranging from limited digital infrastructure to gaps in human capital development that could impede their ability to participate in or benefit from the AI revolution.

According to UNESCO’s 2024 AI Readiness Index, fewer than 25% of low- and lower-middle-income countries have established national AI strategies or regulatory frameworks, compared with more than 80% in high-income nations. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Perception Survey 2024 flagged the adverse consequences of unregulated AI — including cyber threats, misinformation and systemic disinformation — as among the top 10 global risks for the next decade.

Without inclusive global mechanisms to regulate and distribute AI responsibly, a good number of countries, notably developing ones, risk becoming a passive consumer of technologies built and controlled by a few dominant countries and corporations. These fears are not unfounded:?Current AI development is heavily concentrated within a handful of technology firms in a small number of countries, leaving many nations on the periphery of both innovation and governance.

For the Global South and beyond, this dependency creates an urgent need for conversations around technological sovereignty, interoperability and the risks of digital dependence.

It is in this context that initiatives like the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai take on heightened relevance.?The conference came shortly after recent advances like Kimi, DeepSeek and Qwen, positioning China to lead efforts toward more inclusive AI governance.

The conference unveiled the Global AI Governance Action Plan proposed by China, and advocated for establishing a new global AI cooperation organization to tackle such pressing issues as fragmented standards, lagging data governance, and insufficient international collaboration. During the event, Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized this urgency, warning against an era when AI could become “an exclusive game.” The plan instead envisions AI as a global public good, with shared regulations, transparency and cooperation.

This model of inclusive governance provides a useful blueprint for most countries across the globe, which would otherwise face deep digital divides and insufficient access to cutting-edge technologies.?The Chinese proposal outlines 13 concrete steps designed not only to protect sovereignty and propel infrastructure improvements, but also to enable skills training and ensure equitable and sustainable use of AI.

For much of the Global South, AI represents a chance at leapfrogging — one that can bypass legacy infrastructure hurdles and facilitate immediate smart growth in agriculture, health care, education, logistics and governance. Multilingual, data-based AI models adapted to local climatic patterns can drive climate-smart agriculture; AI diagnostic solutions can address rural health care deficits; and sophisticated digital ID systems can aid financial inclusion and e-governance initiatives. However, capturing this opportunity requires treating technology transfer as only the starting point, where collaborative platforms, co-creation, funding and capacity building are essential.

China’s efforts in promoting open-source platforms, research centers and global cooperation initiatives at WAIC can serve as a foundation for such cooperation.?Using these platforms, participating nations can adopt AI applications tailored to local needs while ensuring data sovereignty and establishing ethical norms.

Notably, this requires the Global South and all participating nations to step up as co-architects, not just recipients, of global AI norms.?A co-governance framework, as proposed by China, creates space for diverse actors to contribute to the evolving rules and responsibilities of AI development and deployment. It recognizes that the future of AI must be designed with multiple values, not just those of a few techno-economic giants.

As AI increasingly defines the boundaries of competitiveness, security and social change, the question is no longer who creates the most advanced model but who ensures it is inclusive, fair and adaptable.?For the Global South and beyond, China’s AI plan offers an alternative vision: a path founded on solidarity, openness and strategic collaboration.?The 2025 WAIC proposes a future in which the digital landscape is co-created, enabling all nations, the Global South in particular, to leap not just into the AI era, but into a more equitable and inclusive global digital order.

Yasiru Ranaraja is a commentator on current affairs, a researcher on maritime issues and an expert on Belt and Road Initiative development. He is the founding director of BRISL, an international development organization in Sri Lanka.